Differences
by Licras
Summary: Harry Potter: Divergent Paths is where the real story begins, but I'll keep this version up as a One-Shot. It does actually hold inklings towards plot points I'll eventually use in HP:DP. Re-written: Harry Potter: Divergent Paths


**Differences**

 **A/N: Differences is my original version and has been put away. The next chapter is where the real story begins, but I thought I would keep this here if anybody wanted to read it either way. If you do decide to read this, then please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Naruto (only lightly mentioned), Pokémon (same as prior), or Harry Potter~**

Ash groaned as he woke up, finding himself in a black void, facing a planet spotted with green and blue. He looked down and found himself in a spirit form again, with a rather distinct difference. This time, he was blue on one half and green on another.

"Well, this is awfully familiar…" he said sarcastically. He glanced at the planet again. "That doesn't look like the Pokémon World or the Elemental Nations."

" **Welcome, Ash. Or, do you prefer Naruto?"** a woman's voice said from behind him.

He turned around and found a much larger spirit in the shape of a woman. Her features were more defined than his own, breathtakingly elegant in her beauty yet still that strange sort of undefined. The energy she was composed of swirled around erratically.

"Either is fine, I guess. They're both part of me," he answered, glancing at himself again. The humanoid, yet undefined body was still rather strange.

A chuckling sound emerged from the large entity. " **You speak with nonchalance, despite facing the most powerful force of this universe. Impressive.** "

Ash shrugged. "Honestly, after meeting the first few all-powerful entities, you stop being surprised by it. So, who are you, where am I, and why am I here?"

" **I have no given name. I simply am. I am the embodiment of the energy of this world, Magic."**

Ash scratched his head. "Do you mind if I call you Mana?"

"'… **Go ahead, I do not mind. The planet you see is Earth, and where you will be going.** "

Two large walls appeared to the side of Ash. One flickered between large cities with vehicles with four wheels. Cars. This was a world similar to where Eika came from, possibly even the same. He saw airplanes, ordinary people walking around in suits, selling 'hotdogs,' and other various things.

The other wall displayed people flying around on broomsticks, holding carved sticks of wood, shooting beams of light at each other, brewing concoctions with strange ingredients, and various strange creatures.

"Wow…seems like an interesting place."

" **Yes, it is. In this world, there are two types of people. Muggles. The ordinary humans, those that possess no powers aside from their natural intellect and ability to develop. Wizards, or Witches. The humans that can wield magic and live in a separate world from Muggles. And this is where the story begins. Look into my eyes, Ash."**

He complied and did so, to be injected with a plethora of memories. Visions of raids by hordes of masked people, killing wizards and muggles alike. Revolting acts of defilement and torture. Psychotic laughter and glee.

He saw a beautiful auburn-haired young woman, studying and practicing magic, emerald green eyes sparkling with energy. A black-haired, handsome individual persistently pursuing the young woman. He was denied until something changed in the final years of the school visions. The glimmer in her eyes had died, while the young man had mellowed in his unsavory actions, become more pleasant.

They were married in the year or two following their leave from the gigantic school within the castle. A few more years only made her ever more beautiful. However, even during their marriage ceremony, behind that smile, was emptiness. The energy within her was drained. Something had happened to her. While the young man did his best to keep her happy and she kept her mask on, something was wrong.

A slight change occurred with the birth of Harry. A bit of the glimmer had returned to Lily's eyes as she looked over her baby with love.

The raids continued and the people hid in fear. James Potter, as Ash had learned the young man's name was, worked with an organization, organized by the Headmaster of the school. Albus Dumbledore. The man was a wise and powerful wizard, but even with his good intentions, he made mistakes. The major one being his hesitance in using lethal spells against the Death Eaters. He was indeed a wizard of the Light, but that disposition caused the death of many of his allies.

" **I believe a single human phrase fits him quite well: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Great as he is, he has fallen to his age and is stubborn about his beliefs. Nobody dared to correct him, until now. Make your judgment and proceed.** "

He saw the prophecy that condemned the Potters' child to hold a great role in the future. Snape telling Voldemort of the prophecy. The hunt for the Longbottoms and Potters. The rat's treachery. James and Lily Potter's last moments. A mother's selfless sacrifice for her child. Ash watched her death with great remorse.

" **You are attracted to her, even though you have never met her personally?** "

"I suppose so. Her actions call out to me…" Ash said softly, walking over to the frozen image. "How does someone lose the light of life like that? How could anybody let that happen…"

The entity of magic stared at him for a few moment. She contemplated the situation as Ash remained focused on the image, features soft.

"… **I will slightly morph events for you.** "

The images of that fateful night replayed. The sickly green Killing Curse struck Lily Potter's body. Instead of slumping to the ground with the loss of her soul and life, her body disintegrated. The events proceeded as normal. The Killing Curse rebounded from the little baby and Voldemort lost his body, his soul escaping to gather the strength to revive.

"What happened?"

" **I will explain later. Continue watching.** "

Ash did so as he watched Sirius Black chase Peter Pettigrew and become imprisoned unjustly. Watched as Harry Potter was left with the Dursleys. The years of mental and physical abuse ensued. Vernon Dursley did not lay a hand on Harry Potter. Instead, his self-esteem and body were worn down through years of being underfed and bullied by Dudley Dursley. It was a sad childhood.

The magical signs began to show. His aunt and uncle became even more verbally abrasive. At ten, he finally received his letter. A scrawny boy for his age. Chaos ensued and he was introduced to the magical world. He was awkward and nervous, agreeing with the first thing he heard. A lamb. He lost a lot of opportunities. The years passed. The entirety of Harry Potter's life was shown to him.

"I feel bad for him. He seems to have worse luck than I do…and that's saying something," Ash said with a grimace. "The rest of his friends as well…I must do something for them. Keep them away from the Weasley brat…have Harry actually have the time to fall in love with somebody other than his little rushed relationship with his 'best mate's' little sister."

" **Correct…your goal will be to change things for the better. Even with the defeat of Tom Marvolo Riddle, the Wizarding World did not change to be any better. You will change it. I do not personally care how Harry Potter's life turns out. Interfere as you will,** " Mana stated.

Ash sighed. "Right…why do you deities never just fix problems yourself? You either don't interfere or summon me to interfere for you…"

" **I wouldn't question that if I were you. It is simply within our nature.** "

"Right…anyway, explain my position."

" **Lily Potter has been extracted from her death and preserved. She is held at the Potter Mansion, one of the properties of their family.** " Ash opened his mouth to speak, but Mana continued. **"To be credible in the magical world, you need lineage connected to Magical Britain. As such, this is my will.** "

Four animal spirits appeared in the space. A red lion, green snake, blue eagle, and yellow badger. White light flashed and people took their places. Two men and two women. Their features were rather undefined, though he could tell their forms were of their prime rather than their appearance before their deaths.

" **You will become the Heir of the Four Founders. Four of the most powerful wizards to have walked the grounds of the Magical United Kingdoms** "

Ash raised an eyebrow. "You mean the four founders of Hogwarts?"

" **Correct. Salazar Slytherin.** "

The man in green stepped forward. He had black hair and was lean, pale, and attractive in a slick manner. He nodded.

" **Godric Gryffindor.** "

The man in red stepped forward. He had dark red hair and was more muscled, tanned, and handsome. He waved with a grin.

" **Helga Hufflepuff.** "

The woman in yellow stepped forward. She had auburn red hair and was lithe, fair-skinned, and beautiful. She did a curtsy.

" **And Rowena Ravenclaw.** "

The woman in purple and blue stepped forward. She had black hair and was thin, pale, and elegant. She nodded her head.

It was interesting how he could determine just enough to get basic impressions of their appearances, yet any detail was obscured.

' _I guess the appearance thing is common with this type of spirit. Ghosts appeared to actually be more defined in their features,'_ Ash thought. "Pleasure to meet you all."

" _Greetings young one!"_ Godric shouted. " _Hm, so you shall be the one to change the world?"_

" _By Merlin's grey beard, quiet your overbearing mouth, Godric,"_ Salazar groaned. " _I can see the cunning just seeping out of your being…you have potential."_

" _It's nice to meet you!"_ Helga said warmly. " _I'm sure that we'll get along splendidly!"_

Rowena stared at Ash for a moment before speaking. " _Your appearance is young, yet I can sense wisdom far beyond your years. You are curious…"_

" **The four founders will aid you in your endeavors, but mainly in things pertaining to magic and their fields of specialty. They are obviously out of touch with the modern world. Lily Potter can aid you with this.** "

Ash turned to Mana. "What place will she hold in the world? I can't imagine it would be a good idea to have her survival broadcasted to the world…"

" **And it shall not be. If she is to leave the Potter Mansion, it will be under disguise. I will leave her identity and the information of her life to your discretion. Now, as to your body…** _"_

A model of a body appeared. It shifted to be around 4'11", black hair, purple eyes, tanned skin, and a gentle and handsome face.

" **This will be your body at ten, your birthday on July 21** **st** **. You will be placed into existence at a random point in the timeline. You will have access to your blood and shadow clone techniques with the same reserves you previously had. You will also be able to utilize fuinjutsu, but the seals will not last on anything that is not in direct contact with you. The rest of your chakra abilities are unavailable. You will have an innate aptitude for Legilimency, Occlumency, and you will possess the Parselmouth, Metamorphmagus, and Mage Sight abilities. Your Metamorphmagus ability will be advanced, matching the level of changing that your Henge technique granted you. I will gift you with the ability to destroy Horcruxes. I trust you know the first thing you should do.** " Nod." **Your combat senses, eidetic memory, and empathic senses will carry over. Questions so far?** "

Ash shook his head.

" **Your potential for chakra and Aura are being taken as a basis for your magical potential. As such, you will have enormous magical power, though it will need to be developed. Overwhelming power could turn a simple** _ **Lumos**_ **into enough light to blind every human within a five mile radius. Your identity will be…Aiden Fox. Your background will be unknown, but your blood will link you to the four founders. You are legally emancipated, in both the Muggle and Magical World… This can be confirmed with the goblins' blood confirmation system.**

 **Your first magical maturity has been implemented already. You will have more based simply on how you develop your magic. Harry Potter's first maturity has been stunted due to the abuse he has suffered. It would be in your best interest to aid him. I will leave it to your imagination as to how. You will be able to summon the four founders whenever you need their aid. Are you ready?** "

"I…guess so? I don't think I can really get more ready…"

" **Well then, good luck. I recommend you stop by Gringotts first.** "

With that, Ash's vision faded. It was time for another adventure, in a more complicated world.

Mana turned to the other four spirits. " **Well, while he is making his way onto the world, I will show you his lives.** " Her eyes glowed blue as the spirits were immersed into memories. Starting with his life as Naruto.

" _You neglected to inform him of my existence?"_ another figure asked from behind the deity.

The deity's lips twisted upwards slightly. " **It will be a surprise…** "

The figure bowed respectfully. " _As you wish. He has great potential…"_

" **Of course. He possesses many abilities…and will unlock more, as befitting of a champion.** "

…..

' _Come to think of it, I didn't ask her where she would be putting me…'_ Ash groaned as he rose up off of the bed he was on.

He looked at himself, confirming that he was clothed. He did a few stretches to limber his new body. He finally scanned the room and promptly froze. Lily Potter was on the opposite side of the bed. The difference was that she was no longer twenty-one. Her appearance had reverted to her eighteen year old body. Her height stood at 5'6" and her body was lithe, pale, and very, very attractive.

' _ **Her appearance is frozen at the moment,**_ **'** Mana quickly stated. The connection faded just as quickly.

Aiden stared at Lily for a moment before he realized something. ' _How am I going to explain this to her?'_

He scratched his head and sighed. "Well, I'll figure that out when I get to it. Might as well explore the house."

…..

'… _.Where am I?'_ Lily rose up from the bed. She took a look around. _'Didn't I die…?'_

She touched her own cheeks to make sure she wasn't imagining something. She noticed something different.

' _My hands…they're smaller than I remember.'_

She snapped out of her confusion and her eyes widened with shock. "Harry! Where's my baby!"

Her scream echoed through the, for the most part, empty house. A little pop came in to show her otherwise.

"Oh, Mistress is back! Angie is happy to be seeing you again, Mistress!" The little house elf bounced excitedly for the first time in years.

…..

Aiden heard the panicked cry from his seat in the library and ran back towards the room. He stepped into a room with a small group of house elves huddled around the distraught female. The house elves all wore maid and butler outfits with an emblem on their chests. An embroidered P within an orange and red shield.

All of the heads instantly turned to look at him. Lily had a lot of confusion in her eyes.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

He scratched his head nervously, trying to figure out he would handle this. He looked into her piercing green eyes. Aiden sighed. He couldn't bring himself to lie. It'd just add to her list of things to worry about.

"My name is Aiden Fox. I'm technically eleven years old at the moment, but I can assure you that I'm older than that mentally."

Lily could tell from the tone of his voice. He wasn't lying. Her mind worked rapidly, shifting around priorities. One thing came to the forefront of her mind. "Where's my son? Where's Harry?" she asked, voice desperate for an answer.

"I have no idea at the moment, Mistress Potter, but we will find him as soon as we can," he replied, trying to figure out how formal he was supposed to be. He'd need to find somebody to help him with pureblood politics, from what he could tell of the Wizarding World.

"Please, just call me Lily. That makes me sound too old and I can see that I'm younger than I used to be…" she responded briskly, head lowered in thought. She'd calmed down significantly over time, but. Of course, she couldn't just take his word for it, but he felt trustworthy just to speak with. She raised her head again and looked at the 'boy.' "Who exactly are you?"

Aiden sighed. "Do you mind if we eat as we speak? Your house elves seem to want something to do, you look hungry, and I'd like a moment to think."

Angie nodded her head eagerly, motion mimed by the other house elves. Lily was about to complain, but her stomach rumbled just as she opened her mouth. She blushed in embarrassment and looked off to the side.

"Fine then. Angie, would you be a dear and ask the cooking house elves to just make a light meal?"

"Yes Mistress, Angie will speaks to other house elves!" The house elves vanished with multiple pops.

Lily led the way towards the dining room, Aiden following silently behind. She checked every few steps to make sure he didn't sneak away.

…..

"Well?" Lily asked pointedly. A plate of scrambled eggs, some sausage, and a biscuit lay in front of the two, along with a cup of orange juice.

Aiden sighed. "As I'm sure you can tell, you've survived the Killing Curse for some reason unknown to you and were somehow transported to the Potter Manor. There is also an unknown boy somehow inside the Potter Manor, strange considering that the Potter Manor is under a Fidelius Charm with you as the Secret Keeper. Unfortunate that James trusted Peter enough to not divulge the location of your house in Godric's Hollow, instead of moving here further protection." He took a brief pause to gauge her response.

Lily listened intently to him speak, her mind more clear than it had in three years. Aiden knew many facts that nobody else but her and James, if he was alive, knew. She gestured for him to continue.

Aiden sighed and gazed at Lily. "I'm sorry, but I can't really tell you more about my past. Let's just say that the same thing that saved your life from the Killing Curse is what brought me here."

Lily furrowed her eyebrows in anger. "That's not-"

Magic suddenly pulsated out from Aiden's body, stabilizing into a visible aura around him. It was silver in color. He raised a hand up, palm facing Lily, and his eyes were glowing purple.

" **I, Aiden Fox, swear upon my magic that I will help Harry James Potter in his life. So mote it be.** "

The magic whipped and wrapped around Lily, encircling her whole body loosely before coming around an arm. A similar ribbon of magic wrapped around Aiden's outstretched hand. The aura flared before dissipating.

"I will not betray you, Lily. Knowing my past would change nothing. Now, I'm just Aiden Fox, a ten-year old with no background. Will you give me a chance?"

He sat there awkwardly, waiting for a response. Lily snapped out of her shock at his sudden vow.

He'd made a Magical Oath. It was similar to the Unbreakable Vow, but didn't require a specific third party as witness or a contact. It was, as its name implied, an oath, authenticated by the shifting magic.

She closed her eyes in thought. Many moments passed until she finally responded.

"If you were willing to make an oath to help Harry…. I'll need more to personally trust you, but I can trust you for my son. Now, I would like an answer for something I should have asked earlier, had I been in my right mind."

"That would be?"

She stared at Aiden. "What is my son in danger from?"

"Voldemort." Lily didn't flinch. "When you sacrificed yourself to save Harry, your magic left protection over him. That protection will be nullified, however, considering that you were brought back to life. Your magic will have returned to you now. The Killing Curse bounced back and destroyed Voldemort's body and soul. He will come back."

Lily nodded wearily. "I…I need time to think…Angie, please show Aiden to the guest room. We'll talk tomorrow."

…..

Aiden laid his head in his hands, staring at the ceiling. _'That may have been the most awkward conversation I've ever had in my lives,"_ he thought idly.

On the bright side, she seemed to be taking it rather well so far.

Waves of panic and sorrow shot through the walls, sending a nauseating feeling into his stomach. He quickly snapped up and climbed out of his bed. He ran towards Lily's room. Sobs sounded silently through the wall.

Aiden opened the door slowly and quietly, so as to not startle her. Lily was sitting upright, an album open in front of her. A few tears remained on her cheeks, eyes puffy.

"When I first received my letter," she said quietly, "I was so excited. I'd been ready for a long time, talked about it so much with Severus. The boat ride across the lake, my first sight of the halls…everything was just magical." Lily chuckled emptily.

"What happened to you? You were a brilliant light shining in the halls of Hogwarts. People should have been there for you. How did you lose your light?" he asked.

"I had friends, but sometimes they just weren't close enough. Not enough to care. To stop the whispers behind my back. Severus grew far away...and two of my best friends were ripped away from me. I was optimistic, working hard at my studies. It didn't take long before I realized something. I didn't stand a chance. Professor Slughorn was nice, I enjoyed the parties, getting to know others, but I realized something. It'd take more than what I had. The magical world wasn't as kind as I thought it was."

"You had great potential, Lily. You were the most intelligent and beautiful witch of your generation, top of your studies, and not letting anything stop you."

"And as the years went on and we all grew, I only veered away from my peers. James chasing after me like a dog in heat, stealing away the attention of the Potter heir. I lost most of any companions I had in my own house and moved on mostly alone. When Severus finally snapped, I'd lost one of my last friends and his words reminded me of something. The reality of a primarily Pureblood-run magical world."

Aiden sat silently. Lily took a deep breath. The thoughts that she'd internalized years past came pouring out. She felt a heavy weight lift from her chest as she relayed her emotions to this person she'd only met hours ago.

"I didn't have the background. I came from a Muggle family that wanted little to do with me and didn't have a way out," she continued. She didn't hesitate with what she said. He bristled in suspicion.

"Alice Longbottom, Layla Greengrass…they could have helped you. Why didn't you ask them?"

Lily's body tensed strangely before she turned her head towards him. Her eyes were glazed over and confused. "I…I don't know…"

Aiden walked over to the bed and put a hand onto Lily's forehead, eyes closed in focus. He was immediately immersed in his senses, feeling the flow of magic in the air around them and, more importantly, the flow of magic within Lily. The problem was obvious. An abnormality was occurring with the flow to parts of her brain. He instinctively understood the signs. Emotional, mental, and memory blocks were interfering with her head.

Aiden cursed quietly under his breath. "There are blocks on you. Any idea why?"

"No, I don't…" Her eyes drooped and shoulders sagged. "Aiden…please…help me."

His expression softened immediately. Lily put the album back onto her bedside and laid down in her sheets, drained of her energy. She was shivering

"I swear it on my life, Lily." He crawled onto the bed and hugged her comfortingly.

"Please, don't…leave me alone for tonight," she murmured tiredly.

Aiden nodded lightly and carefully slipped into the sheets. Placing his currently small arms on and around her back, he laid there quietly to comfort her.

' _Well, I guess that's one way you can start a new life…'_

…..

Lily woke up slowly, eyes fluttering open from her deep sleep. The subtle warmth she'd felt at her side had disappeared. Her emerald green eyes fell on the album on her bedside.

Remembering the events of last night, Lily sat quietly to mull over everything with a much clearer mind.

' _I swear on my life, Lily.'_

There was nothing but honesty and kindness in that single statement. She truly felt that she could trust Aiden. The other matters at hand were much more concerning. Their conversation brought a large question to the forefront of her mind.

' _He's right. Why didn't I ask for help? Why did I bottle it up?'_

James truly changed on the approach of seventh year and the death of his parents, Charlus and Dorea Potter. He'd gradually become much more serious and kind in his behavior at school. She respected his change in character and didn't regret conceiving Harry with him. However, even after growing to like James, she couldn't say she loved him enough to miss him after death. Her years in marriage passed by uneventfully, the only light of her life being her baby son.

But why didn't she question how her life suddenly lost its appeal to her? She clutched her head as a slight jolt of pain traveled through. There was something wrong. She could tell. There was a hole in her memories, a slight one, but a hole nonetheless. It was sloppy, considering that she could actually notice the discrepancy, but it did the job.

Lily snapped out of her train of thought. She needed to find Harry. Aiden would help. She sighed and went to wash herself.

…..

Lily let out a deep breath after her shower, feeling a bit better now that she'd washed off her grime and tears. She ruffled her hair with a towel, wiping off a bit more of the remaining water.

After drying herself off completely, she moved over to the closet, wrapped up in her towel. She slid open the door and looked through whatever clothing she had left. A small smile came to her face as her eyes ran over a familiar set of clothing.

…..

Aiden whistled as he absent-mindedly cooked breakfast, body automatically working with his experience. A few house elves were shuffling around to help. Meanwhile, he was having a small conversation with his new companions.

' _Missus Ravenclaw, Sir Slytherin, do you have any ideas as to Lily's condition?'_

' _Please, do not be so formal with us, Aiden. Of all the humans in this world, you alone hold the respect of all four of us. Call us by our given names,'_ Rowena replied.

After Aiden had been set off to get started, Mana went over his lives with the four founders. Needless to say, they were impressed with the decisions he made, showing countless displays of the traits they each favored.

' _In pertinence to your question, the block affecting her mind does not appear to be anything powerful, at most, an affliction from a potion of some sorts. The hole in her memory is small, most likely erasing the point at which she was given the potion. The effect of the potion is one that I could create myself, though there seems to have been a volatile ingredient added, which altered the effect,'_ Salazar replied.

' _Why would anyone give her a potion to depress her and steer her away from her friends?'_ Aiden asked.

' _I am unsure. The potion I had in mind would have the effect of depressing her, though this effect seems to indicate poor quality and an extra effect.'_

' _I do not believe that the potion was given with purpose of causing this much disarray in her life however,'_ Rowena interjected, ' _if anything, I would hazard a guess at a petty grudge gone awry.'_

Aiden nodded in understanding. _'The smallest ripples can cause whirlpools of change. Say, why is it that you four can speak with…modern language? I would have thought that trends changed from what they were in your lifetimes.'_

' _Mana was kind enough to provide us with sources from which we could learn more modern styles of speaking, previous to your arrival,'_ Rowena replied.

' _Though, of course, Godric is taking slightly longer to integrate the new knowledge. Always slower than the rest of us,"_ Salazar said. A mental image of him smirking popped into Aiden's mind.

' _I resent that, Salazar!'_ Godric's voice echoed from the back parts of his memory. Whenever he wasn't actively talking to a specific founder, they took more of a background role. That way he could focus on what he was specifically looking for, but hear the others in case they had anything to say.

Aiden chatted a while longer before he sensed Lily's presence approaching. He finished setting the table as she walked into the room.

Surprise was etched on her face as Lily took in the feast laid out on the table and Aiden removing the large apron off his smaller frame. The ten-year old body hadn't interfered in much so far.

"Did you make all of this?" she asked in shock.

Aiden glanced his eyes over Lily's clothing. She was wearing casual Muggle clothing, form-fitting jeans and a cute mint green top matching her beautiful auburn hair. The clothing looked worn, probably something she hadn't worn in quite some time.

"No, a house elf helped out with some of the cooking. Thank you by the way, Tipsy."

"Of course, Tipsy is happy to help Mister Fox! All of the house elves are happy to help Mister Aiden in helping Mistress!" the house elf bubbled from the kitchen. "But Tipsy mustn't be taking the credit from Mister Fox, sir! Most of the food was prepared by you, sir!"

Aiden laughed as the house elf popped away, not allowing him to get in another word. "Curious little guys, they are," he said, sitting down to eat. "You look less tired and even more beautiful than you did previously. Come on, eat. You'll need some energy before we talk." Lily blushed slightly and sat down across from Aiden. It felt like an eternity since she'd last eaten.

…..

"Thank you for everything so far, Aiden…and I'm sorry you had to see me like that last night. I just…feel so much clearer now. Life before felt like I was wading through murky water."

Aiden nodded. With Mana's interference and revival of Lily, any effects the potion had been putting onto auburn-haired young woman were most likely lessened considerably. "I can't say I completely understand what you went through, but I am sorry I couldn't be there to help you. Now that I am here, I can and will help you, starting with retrieving Harry."

Lily's eyes brightened considerably. "Where is he?"

"Sadly, he's under the care of your sister, Petunia…" Lily flinched and tried to speak, but Aiden gestured to let him finish. "I have no doubt that his life so far has been rough under her 'care'…but before we can take him back, we need to re-legalize your guardianship over him. I have no doubt that you were marked as dead after Voldemort's infiltration of your home. Before we do anything however, I need you to check something."

"What is it?"

"Do you still have your wand with you?"

Lily nodded and withdrew the piece of wood from her pocket. The stick had been laying inside her robes that she appeared in. "What do you need it for?"

"I'd like for you to…check what the current date is."

Lily nodded and brought her wand up. With a swish and a " _Tempus,"_ a silvery mist expelled itself from her wand and formed into words and numbers.

 _June 21_ _st_ _, 1991_

Aiden cursed under his breath and Lily brought a hand to her face in shock. "Ten years…ten years with Petunia?"

Aiden sighed and walked over to Lily, placing a hand on her shoulder and snapping her out of her daze. "I have no doubt that Harry has been mistreated in his time at the Dursley household…but there's nothing we can do about the past, Lily. We need to remain calm and do what we can now, and in the future."

"I…I should have been there for him…ten years, Aiden…" Lily looked at him with sorrow-filled eyes. She sat silently for a few more moments before focusing herself. "I want him back, Aiden. I need to see him."

Aiden nodded and gave her a soft, reassuring hug. "We will, Lily. First, we need to return custody of Harry back to you, both Magical and Muggle if possible. I assume custody switched after you were pronounced dead or missing at Godric's Hollow. We need to find an attorney to help us find the information and deal with the legal issues."

Lily remembered a friend from the past who could help her. She felt as if a slight fog had lifted from her mind. "I know somebody who can help us, Aiden. With both side of the problem. She has an office in Diagon Alley."

He smiled and nodded. "Perfect. We'll need to take care of some other issues in Diagon Alley first, but that'll work brilliantly. Do you happen to have any robes I could borrow? I wouldn't want to attract too much attention."

Lily put a hand to her chin in thought. "Well, the guest room still has some of James's old robes in them, but they're probably too large…"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll make it work," Aiden answered with a grin.

…..

Lily tapped her foot anxiously, waiting in front of the fireplace for Aiden to return. She wanted to take Harry back as soon as she possibly could.

Footsteps from behind and she turned around to see how he made it work. She immediately pulled out her wand and pointed it at the man before catching sight of a unique pair of purple eyes.

"Aiden, is that you?"

"The one and only, milady," he replied with an over-the-top bow.

"How? Even a Metamorphmagus shouldn't be able to increase their body size that much," she asked in shock.

Aiden had changed his body to match what he guessed he would look like at eighteen years old. He was 5'9" with slightly longer hair, but otherwise similar features on a larger scale. The robes fit him well enough and he looked the image of a confident, young wizard.

"My abilities are a bit more advanced than normal. Are we ready to go then?"

Lily took a few moments to register the new information, but decided to take it in stride. Aiden was full of surprises.

"Of course."

She stepped into the fireplace first, took a handful of the Floo Powder, and tossed it down. " _Diagon Alley."_

…..

Aiden landed easily enough, taking in his surroundings. Wizards and witches walked around, each individual voice and conversation melding together into one large murmur of noise.

"Why are you standing there like that?" a voice said, snapping him back to attention.

"Sorry Lily. Just a bit overwhelming," Aiden replied.

Lily smirked. "I felt the same way when I took my first steps into Diagon Alley. Where are we going first?"

"Gringotts first. I'd like to just visit it last, since we'll most likely need to bring our attorney there and retrieve documents and papers later on, but I need money first. Shall we?"

Aiden held out an arm and glanced at Lily. She simply looked at him for a second before taking his arm, wrapping her own arms comfortably around his.

As they walked towards the large Wizarding, goblin-run bank, a few glances came their way. Mostly glances of envy.

"Would you believe me if I told you this isn't the first life I've lived?"

Lily turned her head to see Aiden's face. He had a somewhat serious expression on his face.

"I guess I wouldn't be surprised. Ever since I received my letter and entered the Wizarding World, a lot of strange things have happened. And I would believe you. You haven't lied to me yet."

Aiden smiled. "Thank you for your trust, considering you haven't known me for too long. I wanted to tell you a bit about my past, since I avoided the subject when you first asked me. In my first life, I was an orphan growing up. I was alone for a while. Some people tried to help me out, but they could only do so much. Even with the village I grew up in hating me, I still turned out all right. I made close friends and companions. I changed the way people looked at me, changed the world. And I found women who loved me for who I was. I can't really go into details, because it would take too long, but I promise you that my past is nothing for you to worry about."

Lily quirked an eyebrow. "Women?"

Aiden was confused for a few moments before realizing her concern. "Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, in the life that I lived, the world was war-torn and dangerous. Any day, you could pass away, leaving your loved ones to grieve. Powerful people were encouraged to make large families with women who were equally as strong, in order to leave behind strong lines to protect and aid the village. Of course, we reciprocated our feelings. It was a situation that may seem strange to you, but that's just how it was. I think the practice is known as polygamy?"

Lily's head spun circles in confusion. That just seemed alien. She thought about it for a moment, mind whirring to actually think about the subject instead of just spouting out the words of others.

"I can tell that you're rather confused. I think the problem that people have with polygamy in the modern world is the negative connotations that come with it. Abuse, using the wives as labor, forcefully taking them…all disgusting crimes that should be punished to the highest degree. My relationship with my wives was nothing like any of that. We loved each other and they each had the decision to enter our relationship. I did no less housework than any of my wives and took their advice and words to heart."

Lily frowned for a moment, coming to a conclusion in thought. "If you speak of it like that, I suppose there really isn't much of a problem that I can see…"

Aiden smiled. "Right?" He slowed his pace as they approached the entrance to their destination. "I'd like to tell you more, but we've arrived. Maybe some other time."

Wizards and witches milled about, either conversing with each other or speaking to the goblin bank tellers. Aiden and Lily found and walked over to a random teller. The goblin in question looked up with a quirked eyebrow.

"Greetings sir. My name is Aiden Fox and I would like an inheritance test," he asked respectfully. The goblin's expression shifted to surprise for a moment before smirking.

"Of course. A mandatory fee of ten galleons will be required to take the inheritance test," the goblin stated.

Aiden looked to Lily questioningly. "Do you mind? I don't have any money on me at the moment. I'll pay you back soon," he said.

Lily nodded affirmatively. The goblin nodded. "Very well then, please follow Silverclaw." He motioned for a nearby goblin to take them into another room.

Aiden smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your assistance and may your transactions be conducted smoothly and favorably."

Aiden walked to follow the goblin with Lily still hanging on his arm. The teller looked after him curiously.

…..

Lily and Aiden found themselves in a rather plain room. It was a standard office used for private transactions, the only accessory being the banner behind the goblin's desk with some words scrawled on them. It was in the language of the goblins, which Aiden hadn't had the chance to study quite yet. He would remedy that eventually.

Silverclaw removed a long and blank piece of parchment from a cabinet and laid it onto the desk. He placed a curved blade on the table, taking it from a drawer of his desk. The goblin turned back to the two humans and pointed to the parchment.

"Cut your hand and spill your blood on the parchment."

Aiden walked over to the desk and picked up the blade. He sliced open his flesh without hesitation, spilling blood onto the parchment. Words began to take shape on the document.

Lily looked at Aiden in concern until the wound suddenly closed itself, leaving no mars on his tanned skin. Silverclaw picked up the parchment, watching with disinterest as the words wrote themselves out. Aiden chuckled inwardly as his expression began to shift into a degree of surprise and shock that goblins rarely showed.

Silverclaw turned back to Aiden with a contemplative expression. "Stay here. I must consult others for a situation regarding your inheritance."

Aiden nodded in response. Silverclaw exited the room, leaving Lily to stare at Aiden.

"Why would he need to consult somebody else for a simple inheritance test?" she asked suspiciously.

Aiden whistled in feigned nervousness before grinning. "There's something special about my heritage that's really sensitive in regards to the British Wizarding World in general. You'll find out soon enough."

As if confirming his words, the door promptly opened. A goblin much larger than the other goblins they'd seen so far. Aiden could feel an air of importance about him. He instinctively bowed in respect, Lily following suit shortly after.

The goblin smirked and gestured towards the two humans. _'This wizard is interesting…Goldfang and Silverclaw were right.'_

"Follow me. It wouldn't be fit to discuss such important manners in such a plain room."

Lily and Aiden followed the new goblin through the halls of Gringotts until they came a room with an ornate, larger door. They entered into an office with a mahogany desk, leather couch, and multiple cabinets adorning the walls. Two swords were mounted in an X-pattern on the wall behind his desk, along with a banner, similar to the one in the earlier office, hanging under the weapons.

The goblin took a seat at his desk, gesturing for the two humans to sit on the couch across from him.

"Tell me, Master Fox, how it came to be that you," the goblin started abruptly, "are the heir of the four founders of Hogwarts, when we cannot trace your line to any spot previous to yours, yet we have hold of authentic documents of your existence."

The information hit Lily like a truck, but she kept her silence. Aiden smiled mysteriously at the goblin.

"Apologies for any impudence, but before we continue our discussion, would you not tell me your name? You know mine and it would be rude for me to not address you properly."

The goblin furrowed his eyes at Aiden. Lily watched the two with apprehension. She'd heard of wizards and witches who'd lost limbs for insulting goblins in Gringotts.

Suddenly, the goblin broke his stare and broke out into laughter. A few seconds later and the goblin slammed a fist on his desk, a grin adorning his face.

"You're an interesting one, Master Fox! Few wizards have the balls to talk to any goblin like that. My name is Ragnok, the Director of this branch of Gringotts."

Aiden shook his head. "Please, just call me Aiden or Fox. I don't think I've earned your respect enough to earn any sort of title that isn't simply a joke for your own enjoyment."

Ragnok grinned toothily. "Perceptive of you, Fox. Enough of this banter, however. An explanation for my earlier question?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have one to provide. All that I can say is that magic chose me to be who I am."

Ragnok looked at him with a gauging stare before nodding. "Hmph, well, I'm sure that'll cause some hissy fits in those wizards at the Ministry. As long as you stay favorable towards Gringotts, I could care less," he stated.

"Of course, Ragnok. I have no reason to do otherwise. I trust that Gringotts will work only in a manner most profitable for both you and me."

Ragnok nodded and four rings suddenly appeared on Aiden's hands. The ancestral rings of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff materialized, two on each ring finger. The first initial of their last name and their corresponding animals adorned each ring. And even past them, one more ring found its place on his hands. The weight settled, yet magic obscured it from view.

"I will be the manager of your account, Fox. The combined worth of the four houses composes a little over a half of the entire British magical community," Ragnok stated. His voice told Aiden that the matter of the final ring was delicate.

Aiden shook his head around for a few moments before staring at Ragnok with a serious gaze. The nonchalance was gone.

"I will entrust investments and shareholding in both the Muggle and Magical world up to your expertise, Ragnok. I am not caught up to business in the world, nor am I particularly interested in doing so at the moment. I believe that you will take care of matters in a manner most profitable." A thought came to Aiden's mind. "Well, if possible, I would like you to procure ownership of the Daily Prophet."

"Of course, Fox. I wouldn't be Director if I didn't know how to handle matters." Aiden nodded in acceptance and that subject was closed. "Would you like to visit the vaults now?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm in somewhat of a hurry. Is there any method by which I can withdraw money from my vaults easily, or will I have to return every time to do so?"

Ragnok reached into one of his drawers and tossed a pouch and a card to Aiden. It was a simple-looking leather pouch with a cord tying it shut. The card looked like a plain credit card, not really attracting attention.

"Drip some blood onto the cord and it will be keyed to your vault. Just dip your hand into the pouch, think of an amount, not exceeding a thousand Galleons, and the money will be available for you to grab. The card will activate when you activate the pouch. You can use it for Muggle transactions."

Aiden did so and nodded to Ragnok. "Thank you for your help, Director Ragnok. I will have more issues to deal with later, possibly even today. Would you be able to assist me?"

"Hahaha…normally, I wouldn't be inclined to work directly with a human…but seeing as I like your attitude and you seem like an interesting character, I just might do so."

"Thank you for the consideration, at the very least. I will be departing with my companion now, Director. May your gold eternally flow in rivers and your blades stay forever sharp."

"Hehe…may your magic guide you well, Mister Fox," Ragnok replied.

Aiden stood up and opened the door, gesturing for Lily to move out. The two humans departed from the office, leaving Director Ragnok with a contemplative and rare smile on his face.

' _That one will bring interesting events to come in this boring world of ours…'_

Ragnok took out the file concerning the assets of Gryffindor's vault and got to work. He had a lot of files to go through. And he would go through the most important last, with the utmost amount of attention and care.

…..

Aiden let out a sigh of relief as they exited through the front doors of Gringotts. It went better than he expected, as he hadn't really been expecting to meet the Director himself. He could tell that Ragnok wouldn't like a wizard who couldn't act confidently, however, so he had a good guess on how he should act.

He had not been expecting the fifth ring. It remained concealed from natural vision, most likely because he had unwanted companions around. This was an issue that he would need to return to Ragnok for. Alone.

Each of the rings vanished, leaving the most powerful and ancient of them all remaining. The invisible ring.

The other slight issue stepped in front of him, hands on her hips and an expectant look on her face.

"Well?"

"Like I said to Ragnok, I wasn't lying. There really isn't much that I can explain. I abide by my previous statement. Magic chose me."

Lily stared at him for a few more moments before sighing. She doubted there was anything she could get out that Ragnok couldn't, but she had to try.

"Fine then. Are we ready to visit my friend now?"

"Not quite. I'd like to stop by somewhere to get a wand first. As much as I despise being reliant on a single tool as a weapon, I'll need one."

"Ollivander's Wand Shop, then. It isn't too far away."

Lily wrapped her arms around his once again and started to lead him off. Aiden looked at her for a few moments before deciding to ask.

"I don't want to come off as sounding insensitive, presumptuous, or unwilling, but aren't you a bit too close, Lily?"

She looked back to him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He quirked an eyebrow and gestured at her arms interlocked with his.

"Even if you look like that, you're only ten…"

"Even if I only normally look ten, I'm much older, by the same logic…"

"…"

"I also doubt I'll naturally look like a ten-year old for much longer..."

Lily sighed and decided to stop making excuses. She'd realized that fact already, of course. It was just a strange thing to come to terms to.

"Is it normal to be attracted to a biological ten-year old? Right after I was widowed?"

"Why is it that you're attracted to me?"

"You've been nothing but honest to me, even if you can't tell me some things. You've been kind and comforting, noticing that something was wrong with me when nobody else, not even my own husband, did. If that isn't enough…"

"Then, I'll ask you this. Is there really anything normal about the world that we live in? I'm sure you'd find much stranger relationships if you looked hard enough."

Lily went silent in thought, but still didn't let go of his arm. That was a good sign, at least. The duo eventually came to Ollivander's shop. A bell rang as the door opened and the owner of the establishment moved out to the front.

His wide pale eyes locked onto the auburn-haired woman in surprise.

"Lily Evans…it feels as if it was only yesterday that you came here, buying your first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work," Ollivander said slowly. "Younger than you are supposed to be, hm? It doesn't matter to me, however…for I am simply a wand maker and seller. And I believe my customer is to be this young man over here."

Ollivander moved closer to purple-eyed young man, eventually coming so close that they were nearly nose to nose. The wand maker's silvery eyes reflected Aiden's image and seemed to pierce beyond his physical presence.

"How curious…how very curious…"

Ollivander pulled a tape measure with silver, magical markings out of his pocket. The tape began to automatically measure him everywhere and anywhere it could.

It moved swiftly, forgoing most of the unnecessary measurements that he'd caught a glimpse of while watching Harry's – original Harry's – life.

The tape returned to Ollivander, who glanced for the tape for but a second before emitting a clear, "Twelve and a half inches."

"Doesn't the tape do more than that?" Aiden asked out of simple curiosity.

Ollivander's mouth curved upwards very slightly. "Just a little distraction for the children. They tend to get antsy on buying their first wand. Though, you are more than composed enough…"

Aiden nodded in understanding. It made sense. Sort of.

"All of my wands use cores of a powerful magical substance. Unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, dragon heartstrings…most wizards and witches match well with these components. Perhaps…"

Before Ollivander could do anything else, Aiden sent a pulse of his magic through the room. It washed over the large shelves full of wand boxes and they all shivered and rumbled in their slots. Ollivander blinked a few times before laughing.

"Ah, very considerate of you, Mister Fox! For the first time in years, I haven't had my shop wrecked by the violent magical reactions of an unfitting wand. Very well, very well, follow me. You'll need something special."

Ollivander led them into a room in the back of the shop. The room had various blocks of magical wood laid out on a table, with containers of other substances grouped together in another part of the room. This was where Ollivander held the materials for his wands. Some facts clicked together.

"You're a Seer, aren't you? You are given visions of wands for people that will come to your shop in the future."

"That would be true, Mister Fox…yet, I received no notification of you. A mystery. Please, come here and hover a hand over each block of wood. The most fitting will react the strongest to you."

Aiden moved to do so, but decided to try something out. He held out the palms of both hands and focused on channeling magic through them. With a whoosh, two blocks of wood flew into his hands.

Ollivander raised his eyebrows in surprise as he took the two blocks of wood.

"The rarest woods of my collection, passed down through many generations of my family. The wood of the ancient ash tree known as Yggdrasil. The fate of many worlds have laid themselves upon you alone, Mister Fox…and it seems that our world has chosen you as well," Ollivander said mysteriously.

Aiden's eyes widened slightly for a moment before the man continued along.

"This second wood is one more familiar to me, but nonetheless awe-inspiring. My ancestors were lucky enough to stumble upon the remains of a tree of elder… This wood holds great power within it, as does the wand created from its sibling wood."

"What are the chances…?" Aiden whispered, knowing exactly what Ollivander was referring to.

Ollivander smiled. "If these woods are any indication, your wands will turn out to be very unique indeed. Now then, for the core materials, if you would actually hover over them with your hands. Some of these materials can be rather volatile, so caution should be taken."

After scanning over all of the materials, four reacted with Aiden. "Ah, Mister Fox. I should have expected no less," Ollivander whispered with awe, shaking with excitement. "Four rare ingredients, willingly given to my ancestors and passed carefully down, in hopes that they would find their master. Four ingredients that would never be found in England alone, only discovered through the many travels of my ancestors.

The heart string of the great dragoness, Tiamat, who roamed the earth nearly a millennium ago. She caused chaos in the lands and was a proud and powerful black dragon who ruled her domain up until her death. She could even speak the human language, though that ability seems to have been lost in modern times. Her end came by the hands of the founders, thought primarily Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, at some point in history. She died with the venom of a great basilisk coursing through her veins. With her dying breaths, she gave my ancestor the permission to take her heartstring in respect to the wizards who had felled her. Her heartstring has traveled down through the generations, never finding a worthy master…until you.

The tears of two phoenixes who were opposite of each other, yet not complete without one another. The Phoenix of Light, Apollo, and the Phoenix of Shadow, Diana. A physical embodiment of the Yin-Yang principle. The two mystical birds of rebirth once roamed the natural earth, yet seem to have disappeared at some point through history. My ancestors were never given the reason for why they wished to donate their tears, but the mystical ingredient was accepted nonetheless.

The venom of the royal basilisk of Salazar Slytherin, named Niddhogr. The serpent was a being of terror, any other basilisk paling in comparison to the mighty beast. While Herpo the Foul was known to have created the first basilisk, the existence of Niddhogr was more secretive. He was of ninety feet in length, with venom deadly enough to kill any modern dragon in seconds. The serpent burrowed underground to travel, following Slytherin with stealth and silence despite its enormous size. Niddhogr fell in battle against Tiamat, yet departed the world satisfied. Niddhogr followed Slytherin out of respect and boredom, not servitude. He gave permission for his venom to be used as core materials alongside Tiamat's heartstring, his strongest opponent.

Finally, the tail hair of a nine-tailed fox known as the Kyuubi, from the far-away country of Japan. During the travels of one of my ancestors, they found themselves in the island country. The sky darkened and my ancestor found himself trapped in a circle of blue will-o-wisps. The fox appeared before him and opted to donate a hair from each tail. The only reason provided was that she felt as if something beckoned for her to provide the materials.

Yes, each of your materials are very powerful indeed, Mister Fox. Yet the individual strengths of each ingredient will form an unorthodox balance…all contained within the combination of two very powerful woods. Your wand will be a masterpiece…"

Aiden glanced at the container of fox hair. Lily noticed a strange look in his eyes before he turned back to Ollivander. "Who are you, Ollivander?" he asked simply.

Ollivander chuckled. "I am simply a humble wand maker, Mister Fox…though my heritage, you should be able to discern quiet simply. Now then, I will need some time to create your wand, Mister Fox. Return in five hours, if you would. I should be done at that time."

Ollivander hurried off to his workshop without another word, leaving Aiden and Lily alone in the shop. She turned to Aiden, a sigh escaping her lips.

"I'm not quite sure what to say to that."

Aiden smirked slightly, opening the door for Lily. "Just accept it and move on, Lily. Makes life less stressful."

"Any other detours?"

"No, feel free to lead me to your friend now. I'm sorry for taking up so much time."

Lily waved it off with nonchalance, but hurried her pace to their new destination. Lily hoped that she wouldn't freak out too much when she saw her new body.

Aiden soon found himself following Lily through a door and walking into a rather normal looking office. The room followed a general color scheme of black and brown. It was ordinary, official. The woman picking through a file was anything but.

Aiden found himself staring at a tall woman with silky dark hair framing a beautiful face. Her blue eyes were focused on some papers inside the folder she was carrying. She was wearing Muggle attire, a clear and appealing difference to the Pureblood conservative clothing that magical folks still insisted on wearing. Elegant and professional.

There was something else about her appearance that was screaming at him. Gears turned in Aiden's mind.

She was staring down at some files, flipping through the documents. "If you're here to be bother me about a marriage proposition, get out before I blast you out myself. If you're here for business," she said, peeling her eyes away from her files and looking up," welcome to the Tonks Attorney's Office, how may I help-"

The woman suddenly froze as her eyes locked onto the auburn-haired young woman who had nervously positioned herself behind her male companion.

"Hi Andy…" the auburn-haired young woman said quietly.

The woman remained shell-shocked before a faint whisper found its way out of her lips. " _Lily?_ "

The raven-haired woman stumbled her way over to the younger vision of her friend. She took her friend into a gentle hug.

" _What did we promise between the four of us_?" Andromeda whispered.

" _That we would change the Wizarding World together…"_ Lily replied quietly.

Andromeda Tonks tightened her hug on the young woman in her arms. There was no doubt about it. Lily was back.

"What happened to you, Lily? You look so much younger… Where have you been these last ten years?"

"You don't look any less beautiful even after ten years, Andy," Lily giggled. Her expression turned serious. "I don't know what happened…one moment, I was protecting my baby Harry…and the next, I woke up in my house, ten years later..."

Andromeda shook her head. "All that matters is that you're alive and back…" She redirected her attention to the man that was still standing in the room. "Who are you?"

Aiden stepped forward and bowed.

"My name is Aiden Fox and you can think of me as a concerned third party."

"I trust him, Andy. Even if I've only known him for a short while, I know he won't betray me."

Andy looked at Aiden with critical eyes for a few moments before returning her gaze to Lily.

"After you disappeared, Ted passed away. Some strange magical disease that the healers at St. Mungo's had never seen before… Life was hard after that. If Dora wasn't with me, I'm not sure I could have continued…"

Lily's eyes pooled up with some more tears, hugging her friend tightly again, in comfort. "I'm so sorry, Andy… Ted was a good man…"

She smiled and nodded against Lily's shoulder. "Yes, he was." Andromeda chuckled quietly. "He even had the peace of mind to tell me to move on…and the best way for me to get started with that was work." She broke off the hug and straightened out her suit. "Now then, since we've gotten our emotional reunion out of the way," she joked," I'm sure you have something that you need me to take care of."

Lily laughed at Andromeda's little insert and nodded in affirmation. "I need your help with Harry, Andy. With me dead, guardianship of him, in both the Muggle and Magical worlds, transferred to other people. I need to regain guardianship and get him back."

The attorney nodded, thinking of the situation. "That should be simple enough. Your direct parental tie to Harry should outweigh any other claim that his current guardians have to him…which confuses me, considering that I was near the top of the list of who should have received guardianship of Harry."

Lily scowled at the thought. "The Dursleys weren't anywhere close to being on the list. He must have never opened our will to make such a monumental mistake!" she raged.

"I understand how you feel Lily, but there's nothing we can do about it now. Thankfully, the process to regain guardianship of him should be simple enough. We will just need the corresponding forms, which Gringotts can help us with, along with a sample of your blood and the matter should be taken care of."

Lily gave Andromeda a blank stare. "Is it really that easy?"

She smiled brightly at her long lost friend. "You'll have Harry back in no time, Lily."

A few tears of relief fell out of her emerald-green eyes as she took Andromeda into another hug. The two women were startled when they suddenly heard a clapping sound. They both turned to see that Aiden had tapped a fist into his open palm.

"I knew there was something familiar about you. Narcissa, Andromeda, and Bellatrix Black." It made sense to him now. The little gestures between the four while they were in Hogwarts. What Lily meant that night. "The promise you four made…broken."

Anger entered her expression, but it wasn't directed at her sisters or him. "Something happened to Bella and Narcissa after I was kicked out of the family…they weren't the same anymore. Not after they got married to those two Death Eater bastards," she spat venomously. "Narcissa drew back. Bella…lashed out."

Lily and Andromeda watched Aiden for a reaction. He stood unfazed, thinking about the new information.

"Andromeda. I'd like for you to go to Gringotts," Aiden stated, a ring appearing on her hand. With the crest of Slytherin. She gasped audibly. "Ask for Director Ragnok's help and tell him that I'm asking for his help in speeding up the process. Obtain the forms needed for Harry…and we should be back in time for anything else."

"Just her? What are we doing then?" Lily asked.

"I think it's about time that you got to see your son again, Lily," Aiden smiled. The smile waned slightly. "It might be too late, though. He's already nine-years old and your appearance at the moment…"

"I'm aware, Aiden. Still, if I can't be a mother to him, I'll at least be a close sister," Lily said softly, not quite invested in her own words. "Now, how're we going to get there?"

"Where does Petunia live again?"

"#4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Why?"

Aiden grabbed Lily softly by the shoulder, a wide grin on his face.

A small pillar of flames spiraled around the two, enveloping them in a shroud of flames.

As the embers died down and fell to the ground, Aiden and Lily had disappeared from the office, not even leaving a scorch mark on the floor.

Andromeda Tonks stood there dumbfounded, eyes flickering between the spot where her friend used to be and the ring that appeared on her hand.

She bit her lips nervously for a moment before opening the door to the outside. She pocketed the few galleons that remained lying where Aiden and Lily had vanished from. Andromeda Tonks had a job to do and she wasn't about to blemish her record yet.

…..

 **A/N:** **Lily was 21 at death, so ten years later would place her at 31 had she not been changed by Mana. I'm going to shift around the Black timeline a bit and put Narcissa at the same age as Lily, having been her best friend/rival in school, Andromeda two years older, and Bellatrix at four years older. Meaning that the Black Sisters are 31, 33, and 35 respectively.**

Lily remembered Fawkes, the phoenix that nested in Dumbledore's office in Hogwarts. She'd had the pleasure of listening to it sing, the beautiful song invoking feelings of warmth and happiness. She felt the exact same now.

Aiden landed them right on the street of Privet Drive, in front of the Dursleys' home. He felt slightly tired from the unique form of transportation he'd decided to take, but it was rather refreshing at the same time.

"How did you do that?" Lily asked.

Aiden scratched his head. "I was sitting around, trying to think of something I could practice without a wand. I read some books on phoenixes and…"

"You somehow managed to simulate their method of transportation?"

"Yea, something like that."

Lily quirked an eyebrow and stared at Aiden, who just pointed at the house.

"More important things to do than stare at me, Lily."

With that reminder, Lily rang the doorbell and waited for a response. It was only moments later that the door clicked open.

"Who is it?" a woman asked.

The door swung open completely and Lily stood impassively as the resident of the house registered the auburn-haired young woman.

Petunia Dursley froze in shock.

"Petunia, what is it!? The food's going to get cold!"

A few stomps later and Vernon Dursley's grubby body walked into sight. He took a few more moments than Petunia, but stood there confused all the same.

"Dursley…Petunia…"

"H-h-how…they told us you were dead," Petunia gasped.

"Where is Harry?" Lily asked quietly.

Petunia turned as pale as a sheet, but Vernon just scoffed. "What, your freak boy? Just where he belongs…leave it to a freak to not stay dead."

Aiden clenched his fist and nearly slammed the fat walrus right in his grubby face. Before he realized that he didn't really need to do anything.

A beam shot out of Lily's suddenly drawn wand and rammed into Vernon, propelling him backwards into the house.

"Vernon!" Petunia shrieked. "How dare you use your freak magic here?!"

"If being normal means neglecting the child of your dead sister and calling him a freak as a child, then I don't want to be normal, Petunia. Now, get away from me before I blast you too," Lily spat, anger brewing underneath.

The woman flinched back in fear and ran to attend to her husband, who had slammed into the wall and was lying there with a groan.

Aiden moved over to where he knew Harry would be. The cupboard under the staircase. He released the locks and opened the small door slowly.

Light filled the small room and revealed a scrawny little boy with black, messy hair, over-sized clothes, and bright, green eyes. Round glasses adorned his face, held together with a lot of Scotch tape.

"Who are you?"

His small voice was dotted with anxiety and curiosity. He'd never had anybody open his door besides Aunt Petunia. And the few people that had been over before weren't the most pleasant of people to him.

Aiden looked at Harry with soft eyes, gesturing for the boy to come out of the cupboard.

"Hello, Harry. My name is Aiden Fox and I'm a friend of your mother."

The boy's eyes widened significantly. "You knew my mum?" he whispered excitedly.

"Harry…"

The kind and loving voice startled the young boy.

Lily bent down and hugged her son gently, relief pouring out of her body. It was one thing to be assured of his safety, another to actually have him within her arms.

Harry felt unbelievably calm in her arms. It was warm and soothing, unlike anything he'd felt before.

"Sorry miss, but who are you?" said Harry, addressing the young woman he was being held by.

Lily wilted slightly, but held strong. She knew he wouldn't recognize her. It hurt nonetheless. A hand placed itself gently on her shoulder.

"Harry, would you like to leave this place? Come with us? We'll treat you better than you've ever gotten here and we can tell you about your parents," Aiden offered.

Harry glanced between two people who'd treated him more kindly than the Dursleys had ever treated him in his life. His decision was easy enough.

"Yes, Mr. Fox!"

Aiden grinned, but rustled the boy's hair. "Don't call me Mister. I'm really not old enough for that…"

Lily detached herself from Harry and took out her wand. Harry eyed the stick of wood.

"What are you doing with that?" he asked curiously.

Lily sighed. She'd tell him later. "Just taking care of something, Harry." She turned to Aiden. "Memory clear?"

Aiden nodded. "I'll leave the cupboard open and leave a tip with the police. There should be enough for them to come to certain conclusions…" He turned back to Harry. "Do you happen to own anything else?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't really own anything but my clothes."

Aiden chuckled. "I wouldn't really say those clothes are yours, would you?" he joked. Harry laughed a little. "We'll get you some new clothes later, ok? I'm sure Lily would love to go shopping with you."

"Oh, thanks a bunch! I've always wanted clothes that actually fit…" he said, thinking of the clothes he'd seen other kids wearing at school. It was obvious that he wore old clothing that was much too large for him. "Mr. Fox-"

Aiden bopped the boy lightly on his head. "Just call me Aiden."

"Sorry Mr. Fox—Aiden!" he quickly corrected. Aiden smiled and lowered his fist, ready for another bop. "Um, thank you for everything…" he said quietly.

"No thanks needed, little guy. Your mother would kick my butt if I didn't help you and that just wouldn't do, now would it?" Aiden said with a smile.

"Did you like my mom, Aiden? Was she a nice person?"

Aiden rustled the boy's hair again, more gently this time. "Your mother was a wonderful, kind, and beautiful woman, Harry. And she still is."

Harry smiled at the words and nodded happily, taking in the tone of admiration that Aiden spoke with. Then he realized the meaning of the words. The green-eyed boy spun his head to face Aiden, eyes widened.

"Yes, your mum is still alive, Harry. She had something stopping her from taking you back before, but she'll make it up to you now," Aiden said softly. He stared at the immobile boy for a few moments before hugging him.

Harry's body shook with small tremors, a few tears running out of his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Aiden, really wanting to hold onto something at the moment. Harry sobbed happily with the thought that his mom was alive and that she wanted him.

Lily walked silently back to the two boys and tapped Aiden on the shoulder. He looked up and nodded, grabbing onto her.

Harry soon felt a gentle flame wash over his body as his vision darkened.

…..

Harry slowly returned to consciousness, feeling comfortable for the first time in a long time. He shifted slightly to open his eyes, but froze. He registered voices speaking.

"How am I going to tell him?" he heard. It was the nice lady from earlier.

"There really is only one way you can do it, Lily," replied Aiden. "We've already been over this before."

Harry just couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Tell me what?"

Aiden and Lily turned to look at the boy. Lily bit her lower lip nervously and glanced at Aiden pleadingly. He simply shrugged and gestured at Harry.

"This is private, so I'll let you handle this, Lily. Just come find me in the library when you're ready to go meet with Andromeda," Aiden called back.

The door closed and Harry and Lily were left alone. The young woman stared at her son awkwardly for a few moments before Harry realized something. He hadn't ever looked Lily in the eyes before. She had the same exact eyes as him.

…..

Harry whistled to himself as he walked over to the library.

' _It seems a bit cruel to leave young Lily alone in that situation,'_ Godric commented.

' _I would love to stay there and aid her, but this is something she must do alone,'_ Aiden replied, nonplussed.

' _At the very least, Aiden tilted young Harry's view in favor of his time-altered mother in his prior conversation,'_ Helga said.

' _Thank you for the support, Helga.'_ Aiden felt the other two Founders pop into the forefront of his mind as well. ' _How is the training going?'_

' _Quite successfully, if the method works as you say it does. These clones, as you call them, of yours are very sharp, if not distracted at times,'_ Rowena replied.

' _Thank you all for the assistance.'_

' _It is no chore and we require no thanks, Aiden. Your clones are perhaps the best students I have ever encountered and it is much more of a pleasure than sitting in your mind, doing nothing,'_ Salazar stated.

' _How goes the other end of your studies?'_ Helga asked, right as Harry walked into the library.

"Hi boss!" greeted the hundred or so clones running around in the Potter library.

' _Well enough.'_

Prior to leaving the mansion, he'd set an army of clones to read over the Potter family selection of magical texts. Anything from the fairy tales to advanced texts were being studied by his work force.

Texts concerning each of the core classes offered at Hogwarts were available, as well as Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.

Magical creatures were an interesting subject, though primarily limited to those that were encountered in England, some way or another.

Occlumency and Legilimency were two subjects he were interested in studying. Hopefully he could help Harry become proficient at Occlumency this time around.

His first encounter with an elemental magic book was somewhat worrying. While he liked the idea of wielding the elements again, the Potter's possession of such books meant one of two things.

Either the Potter's were holding out on the world of magic or that elemental magic was more available now.

Mana had shown him a version of Harry's life, which would no doubt follow through if he didn't interfere this time around. The world itself, however, was also different.

It would probably be too much to ask for Riddle to not have access to elemental magic. That would be something he needed to discover. He wouldn't disadvantage himself by not perusing all of the knowledge he could get his hands on, however.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a person tapping his shoulder.

He turned to see a woman with green eyes and black hair, streaked with silver. Standing next to her was a blonde man with silver eyes, his hair tied into a ponytail at the back. Both were rather young.

The magical signatures of the duo were indicative of the opposite, however. Even in this world of magic, their existences were abnormal. He searched through his mind and pinpointed their names.

"Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. A pleasure to meet you both," Aiden stated. "May I ask you what you are doing here in the Potter family library?"

The immortal couple blinked a few times before responding. "In the many years of our immortal lives, we came across many abnormalities besides us. You, however, seem to take the award for most interesting…" Nicholas stated.

"Your aura…a very beautiful silver. You are an interesting entity," Perenelle said.

"You came here simply because you were curious?" Aiden asked with a disbelieving tone.

Nicholas shook his head and took a scroll out of his pocket. It was sealed with the mark of an encircled infinity symbol. Aiden reached his hand out towards it.

The second he began to outstretch his hand, the ring on his finger finally dispelled its shroud. A similar symbol was engraved into his ring.

The engraving was made of silver, gleaming in the light. A pair of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and topazes were embedded on opposing sides of the infinity curves. A single diamond sat at the intersection in the middle.

Aiden stared at the ring for a moment. Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel bowed their heads and flames materialized to swallow them and whisk them away.

Before Aiden could react, the seal on the scroll shone brightly before bursting open. A pulse of magic shot out from the scroll, slamming into him before he could react. White light enveloped his body and siphoned into the scroll.

With a pop, his body vanished and the scroll dropped onto the ground.

…..

Aiden blinked a few times as he found himself sitting in a comfy chair next to a fireplace. The rest of his surroundings were somehow present, yet undetailed, just as it had been when he spoke to Mana and met the ghosts of the four Founders.

" **Hello, young one. I apologize for bringing you here so abruptly.** "

Aiden turned to face an elderly wizard, one hand holding onto a staff.

"Who are you? And how did you bring me here?"

" **Ah, straight to the point, I see. I am the one who brought the usage of magic into the world, sanctioned by Mana, as you call her. I am Myrddin Emrys, also the one known as Merlin Ambrosius. The scroll that the Flamel's were kind enough to bring to you was one that I enchanted nearly a millennium ago. It was designed to bring the acknowledged heir of my four disciples to this space.** "

Aiden rubbed his temple for a second. "And since Mana created me to be the heir of the four Founders, your disciples, I fit the bill." He sighed. "I wasn't aware that deities could pull pranks."

The old wizard chuckled. " **The world is a mystery that evolves even to the current day. There is no reason for the deity governing it to not develop as well, correct?** "

"Point made. I'll be more careful in the future… So, what is my purpose here?"

" **Well, this scroll was primarily made to link you to me in case of any future issues that may arise. I had a great number of ancient enemies in my time. There is a large amount of history behind my house's name, but little of it concerns the world as it is now.** "

"I'll keep that in mind. Will I be returning to the world now?"

" **You could if you like. Time, however, passes differently in this space. We could begin training you in magic and perhaps even unlock your Animagus forms…"**

Aiden's eyes opened wide and sparkles filled his pupils. Merlin raised an eyebrow at the strange sight.

" **Well, it seems I have you interested…let's get started, shall we?** "

…..

Harry sat in the chair quietly, kicking his feet back and forth. The steady tapping of his legs permeated the still room. Lily watched him from the seat across, fearful of his next words.

The magical world, her identity, the prophecy. She'd revealed it all slowly. Harry soaked it all in like a sponge.

"…It's not fair…" he whispered, sorrow drenching his voice.

"Life isn't always fair, Harry…but I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you. You won't be alone. I would never let that happen and I don't think Aiden would either."

The dark-haired boy glanced up and smiled slightly. "Then I'll do my best to make you proud of me…mum."

Harry walked over to Lily, sitting on her lap and leaning back into her arms. Lily smiled brightly, a few tears brimming her eyes, and hugged the nine-year old tightly.

The mother and son sat peacefully for a few more minutes before Lily finally spoke again.

"Well, we shouldn't keep Aiden waiting any longer than we need to. We should go-"

A magical tremor rocked the mansion, making Lily and Harry stumble around on their feet. Before they could recover, a white light blasted out from the walls.

…..

With the Potter Mansion as the epicenter, a giant white ring expanded out and struck through all of Europe.

…..

The light traveled along its path, unyielding to anything it phased through. It jetted towards Hogwarts, uninhibited by the multiple defensive wards layering the ancient castle. There was nothing to defend against.

Rather than completely piercing through the school, the ring of light dissipated upon contact. A second pulse of magic spread all over the school and the walls of Hogwarts pulsated and throbbed. An ambient humming sound remained in the air, startling its current residents.

Albus Dumbledore sat straight up when the walls shot out a pulse of light that passed right through Fawkes and himself. The bird of fire sang happily in response, but Dumbledore felt a change. He felt revitalized and a cloud that had settled over his mind lifted.

…..

The light gave no chance to react. Severus Snape jumped when the light passed through him. A strange sensation on his arm startled him and he quickly rolled up his sleeve. All he had ever felt through that cursed mark was pain or a message of summons. Now, the skull found itself surrounded by four familiar creatures, which all vanished just as rapidly as they had appeared.

…..

Hundreds of Ministry employees collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, when the wave passed through the building. The remainder of the wizards were shocked by the sudden wave of feeling that had washed over them. Calls for medical aid were made to help the employees that were in pain, only for a surprise to come to the medical wizards and witches that arrived.

Some of the people were more confused than unknowing of the feeling that accompanied the wave of white. It was one they had all felt at some point in their lives. It was, after all, the same warm feeling they had felt upon hearing the song of a certain phoenix.

…..

The dog sat quietly in the corner of his imprisonment. He was internally filled with turmoil, but he would hold it back. He needed patience if he was to gain a chance. He dispassionately watched the corridor. He was tired. He missed the good old days.

Like a bomb dropping, sound erupted all over the prison. Howls and ungodly screams broke through the air and simultaneously, the white light pierced through him. Warmth, comfort, and safety. Emotions he hadn't felt in a long time.

Sirius Black shifted out of his Animagus form in surprise and quickly tried to shift back, wanting to avoid the deathly and draining presence of the Dementors. It had disappeared. A Dementor came wailing past the entrance to his cell, gliding swiftly across the corridor, shrieking in fear and trying to escape from a beam of light.

Sirius relaxed. He felt better than he had in the last ten years. _'Well, as good as I can feel without a bed, some good food, and a shower,'_ he thought jokingly.

Sirius listened to the screaming, recognizing some of the tones. _'Death Eater bastards…'_ he grimaced. He'd been placed with many of the captured Death Eaters, having been blamed for the death of Lily and James Potter and marked as a high-security prisoner.

Despite it all, he couldn't hear the one sound he had expected to hear. His dear cousin, the one who had grown to become an entirely different woman from the one he once knew.

…..

Bellatrix curled up in her corner, as she usually did.

' _Sirius doesn't want to play…he never wants to play,'_ she thought to herself.

The branches of insanity had encroached upon her mind, the dismal environment and draining presence of the Dementors combining with her fanatical devotion to the Dark Lord. During his initial years here, she'd found immense fun in taunting Sirius. He'd stopped responding over the years.

It was quite the surprise when blinding white light suddenly came bursting out of the corner she had been staring at.

The light enveloped her and the world exploded into fragments. She floated around in the void that remained, unable to speak.

Fragments came together, glowing faintly in the darkness. She was back in Hogwarts.

…..

" _Is something wrong, Lily? Do you need me to teach somebody a lesson? It's not that Potter idiot again, is it?"_

" _No, I'm fine. It's not really a problem."_

" _You know you can always ask us for help, Lily. We're here for you."_

" _I know. Thank you, Andy, Bella."_

…..

" _Something wrong, Potty?"_

" _Let me bloody down from here!"_

" _Not until you've learned your lesson. There's a fine line between pranking and bullying, Potty. You'd think the house of the brave, the ever heroic Gryffindors, would understand that."_

" _I don't need a Slytherin to teach me a lesson!"_

…..

" _You really should get your friend under control. He's going to get himself hurt."_

" _What do you care?"_

" _I don't, particularly. In fact, I love pranking some of my snobby house members too. However, I act with discretion and if you and your little group aren't more careful, you might rub somebody the wrong way. Oh, and if he keeps bothering Lily Evans, I might be tempted to use one of the castration curses I found…"_

 _The boy paled visibly. "Ok, ok, I get it!" He started to walk away before turning around, sheepish expression on his face. "And uh…thanks for looking out for me."_

" _Of course, baby cousin. We children have to look out for each other or the adults are going to sell us off for connections and money," she replied._

…..

" _Ahahahaha!"_

" _Turn it back!"_

" _I don't know what you're talking about. Somebody got you pretty well though, Potty, you might want to go change!"_

 _She snickered as the boy ran off with a huff._

" _Thank you…"_

 _She spun around with an annoyed expression. "I told you to tell me if he was bothering you. I didn't hear about it from your mouth."_

" _I'm sorry..."_

" _You don't need to apologize. Just remember, even if you met us just because we're Cissy's sisters, you're still our friend too."_

 _The green-eyed girl nodded happily._

…..

" _I don't want to do this!"_

" _I know you don't, but we don't have a choice…the contracts have already been settled."_

" _How could they do this to us?!"_

" _It's just how it works, Cissy…there's nothing we can do about it. Mother and father agree with Aunt Walburga's decision…" she said with a clenched fist. "Well, Andromeda? You've hardly said a word."_

 _The middle sister was staring out of the window with a blank look. "Why just you two? You're still only in your third year, Narcissa… Why not me instead?"_

 _The blonde girl sobbed again, receiving comfort from her best friend. "I don't understand purebloods…they claim to be better than everybody, but they're so outdated and they do things like this…"_

 _The oldest shook her head. "I can't say I understand either, Lily. Since meeting you, you've opened our eyes quite a bit."_

" _You aren't going to just let this go through, are you?"_

"… _Not if I can help it."_

…..

 _She stood stone-faced, waiting for their arrival. Inside, she was anxious and nervous._

 _The door creaked open and the Black matriarch entered the room._

" _Did you need me for something, Aunt Walburga?"_

 _Behind the matriarch walked her youngest sister, eyes wide open in panic._

" _Cissy?" she asked in worry._

" _BELLA, RUN!" Narcissa screamed._

 _She jerked backwards, eyes widened, to dodge the two red beams of light that suddenly shot out from two corners of the room. A third slammed into the back of her head and she passed out immediately._

…..

With a violent gasp, Bellatrix jerked up in her cell. She shivered intensely for a few moments before bringing her arms around to hug herself.

She remembered the potions and spells they had forced onto her. Her obedience in all of the vile tasks she was told to commit.

She rocked in place for a few moments and took a deep breath. She raised her arm and noticed it was…smoother than it was before. Cleaner.

Before she could do anything else, she shook very slightly and the look in her eyes changed.

"I wonder if Sirius wants to play again…" she mumbled. She started to laugh with an insane gleam in her eyes.

…..

As the light continued its path through England, leaving its unique mark on the multiple entities and people it passed through. The strange phenomenon soon vanished, simply dissipating into the air and leaving the magical world of England with some differences about to arise.

…..

Lily and Harry ran through the house to the library quickly. The auburn-haired young woman moved ahead, Harry following as well as he could.

"Aiden!" Lily shouted, knocking open the door.

The library looked untouched, minus the few hundred clones still running around unabashedly. Aiden himself stood in the middle of the room, staring at the scroll in his hand. He turned to look at Lily and Harry.

"Yo. Something wrong?" he asked nonchalantly.

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but she saw Aiden pointing. She turned to see Harry poking his head out from the door. She took a deep breath and glared at Aiden.

"I'm annoyed with you."

"Right," Aiden said with a grin. "The pulse of magic, did you feel it?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"What did it feel like?"

"Just like you putting us through that strange apparition."

Aiden cupped his chin in concern. "Well, that's not good…"

"Why? What's wrong?" Lily asked.

"Well, there's going to be a giant uproar soon, if he was right…"

"If who was right?"

Aiden laughed and smiled. "Merlin himself, of course! Come on, we can't keep Andromeda waiting. Hopefully, we can settle this quickly."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"

Without answering her question, Aiden ran over to Harry, swiped him up with one arm, and ran back to Lily. They then promptly flamed away.

…..

"The forms for guardianship, magical and muggle. A blood sample and signature is all that will be needed now," Ragnok grinned, "The Noble and Most Ancient Houses of Black and Potter…between the two of them, they'll have easily over half the worth of the entire British magical worth!"

The goblin Director laughed heartily. This new connection to Aiden Fox and Lily and Harry Potter would be very profitable indeed. Any favor he performed for them, he could count on being paid back equally, if not through managing the accounts alone.

"Who exactly is Aiden Fox?" Andromeda asked.

"Well, that ring that you brought to me should have been enough of an indication. He is Lord Slytherin, as well as Lord Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. He is the heir of the four founders of Hogwarts."

As if on cue, Aiden, Lily, and Harry appeared in a column of flame. The little boy stayed awake this time around.

"Wow! That was cool!" Harry shouted giddily, jumping out from Aiden's arm.

Ragnok watched their entrance with a confused expression, while Andromeda was less phased by their flashy entrance.

There was something different, however, about Aiden. Given the time to recollect her thoughts, Lily noticed as well. There was something more…primal about him now.

"How did you get in here?" Ragnok growled instinctively. There were powerful goblin wards all over Gringotts to prevent apparition and other methods of direct transportation into the bank. For a breach to occur…

Aiden turned to the goblin and sunk to a knee, head down, in apology. "I'm sorry, Director Ragnok, for not entering the bank through standard means. The method of transportation I used to enter was by way of phoenix flaming, which can be warded against, but is often neglected due to the rarity of the phoenix species as a whole. For any offenses my actions may have committed against you, I am prepared to pay the price, but as it is, I work under limited time and sought the most efficient way to reach you."

Ragnok stared at wizard in surprise, his anger subsided for the most part.

Aiden had provided cause for his actions, accepted responsibility for them, and explained the breach. This would allow them to take precautions in the future, if necessary.

The most surprising thing was that Aiden had gotten onto a knee in apology instantly. Without the slightest hesitation, he lowered himself to a position in which he could show the utmost respect and ask for forgiveness.

The action itself was something that most, if not all, other wizards and witches would never even contemplate.

"Rise, Mister Fox. You have not offended me. I was simply caught off-guard by your entrance, considering the pride that we have in our wards. I do not believe I will have phoenix wards added, as it would not be effective enough to consider…but do take the normal entrance if you can."

"Of course, Director. Are the documents ready?"

Andromeda snapped out of her daze and nodded. "Yes, all that remains is a signature and blood sample from Lily for both papers."

Lily moved to fulfill the remaining conditions, but spoke as she did. "What did you mean by 'limited time,' Aiden?"

Aiden took a seat in one of the empty chairs. "Well, you all were passed through by a white ring of magic, correct?"

Ragnok nodded. "The first breach we had…aside from the effects of a phoenix's song, I could feel ancient, powerful magic behind it."

"Yes, well, it may have had some effects on the magical world of England. Issues that will have to be dealt with as they come. Annoyingly enough, the first issue comes rather quickly," Aiden commented.

"Did you have something to do with it?" Andromeda asked.

"Somewhat, yes," Aiden replied. "As Director Ragnok pointed out, the pulse gave out a feeling similar to the effect of a phoenix. Considering that the song of a phoenix is quite comforting for those of pure souls, a simple tingle for those neutral, and quite painful for those evil, the repercussions of the pulse will come to play soon."

Everybody in the room thought about his words for a few moments before coming to a realization.

"Death Eaters in the Ministry," Andromeda whispered.

After Voldemort's apparent death, Death Eater activity had primarily subsided. Top Death Eaters such as Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange were captured. Many slipped back into their everyday lives, blending into the Wizarding common folk. There were no doubt a large volume working for the Ministry, regardless of what Fudge might say.

"When the medical wizards and witches examine the people in pain on the ground for any cause, they'll find the Dark Mark. Even the basic rookie Auror couldn't mess it up enough to fail a capture on a Death Eater disabled by pain."

"So, what next? They'll imprisoned right?" Lily asked.

Aiden shook his head. "They'll call for a meeting of the Wizengamot. I expect that the heads of many of the families supporting Voldemort were willful enough to not be discovered or were out of public view at the time of the pulse. It never works out perfectly for me, after all. Lucius Malfoy will lead the Dark families against imprisoning them."

"But that would never work! They're Death Eaters! That's indicative of crime in of itself!" Lily objected.

"No, Fudge will be hesitant in losing so many workers, as will a few other heads of families, I predict. There will be arguments for letting them go, based on being minor members, not amounting to much of anything, only initiated for a short amount of time, etc."

"But..."

"How does Voldemort have so many Death Eaters? They can't all be purebloods, there's simply no way. Why would they care?" Andromeda asked.

"Fodder. An army is an army, as long as you work towards the same goal. They seek to prove themselves fit for the world Voldemort envisions. He won't reward them in the end, but they're useful to him now."

"So…what do you plan on doing, Fox?" Ragnok interrupted.

"Well, I wanted to get some other business taken care of," Aiden responded," but with this event, I can't let this go anyway other than imprisonment."

He went silent. He felt some force pulling at him. Calling out for his presence.

"Aiden? Are you all right?" Lily asked in concern.

Aiden shook himself and seemed to return to the room.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. Lily, what do you think should happen to the Death Eaters?"

"Imprisonment, at least," she answered immediately.

"Right. The Dark Mark is not forced onto you. It is taken willingly, in a manner of speaking… We're going to make an appearance. The return of Lily Potter and the appearance of the heir of the Founders…and the heir of Merlin Emrys."

Ragnok grinned as ring on Aiden's hand became unshrouded. Andromeda and Lily stared at the ring, speechless.

"That's…I really don't know what to say," Lily sighed.

"You don't need to say anything. It is as it is. Not really any need to treat me differently. Miss Black?"

Andromeda snapped out of her daze. "Yes, Mister Fox?"

"Please, just Aiden. I prefer to avoid formalities if possible. Would you mind taking Harry while Lily and I appear at the Wizengamot meeting? There are some things I would rather he is not exposed to. Besides, he needs to get his eyes fixed and a check-up for his nutritional needs…" Aiden grimaced. "The Dursleys were despicable and he'll need some work to get caught up on growth."

"…Of course, Aiden… Why are you so devoted to this cause? Revealing yourself as the heir of Emrys and the four Founders will paint a giant target on your head for anybody willing to take the chance. You will gain unwanted attention…" Andromeda stated.

"While I'd like to just sit back and watch, I really can't afford to take that stance here. If there is something I know I can do to improve this world, then I will make take action. I know I can do something here."

"There's something else you're not telling me," Andromeda said perceptively.

"Voldemort is not dead."

Ragnok and Andromeda were both startled, though it was harder to place with the goblin's expression.

"What do you mean by that? He's still-"

"Not alive, but not dead. He's made use of a dark ritual to keep his soul tethered to the living world. Horcruxes. Fragments of his soul locked inside of artifacts or living beings, split and sealed through the murder of another person."

Ragnok growled angrily. "Damned wizards…soul magic like that is pure evil, should have never been discovered in the first place."

Aiden nodded. "Humans, magical or muggle, are capable of great things…whether those things are evil or good is up in the air. One more surprise for you, Andromeda. I do apologize for unloading so much onto you, but the situation calls for it."

His body immediately began to shift. His facial features grew younger and his overall size shrunk.

Aiden was soon left in his ten-year old body, his robes left absurdly large in comparison.

"Any specific reason for why you turned back to normal" Lily asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I'd need to reveal it eventually. Might as well just have it known now," Aiden shrugged.

He touched his hand to Lily's sleeve, flaming the two of them away.

Andromeda stared at the spot for a moment before letting out a large sigh. Harry walked over to the woman.

"You're not surprised, Harry?" she asked tiredly, rubbing her head soothingly.

The boy shook his head. "Mum told me about it earlier, so I had more warning. It was still really surprising."

"Will that be all, Miss Tonks?" Ragnok asked, organizing the papers of guardianship to be copied and registered to the Ministry.

"No, that is fine. Did…did something feel strange about Aiden to you?"

"Yes…it seems Mister Fox successfully unlocked his inner beasts," Ragnok replied.

Andromeda thought about it for a moment before nodding. Animagus transformation. "I see. Another mystery then. May…your gold stay ever plentiful, Director."

Ragnok laughed briefly before grinning toothily. "Good attempt, Miss Tonks. The guards will you show you the way out. Have a nice day."

Andromeda nodded and took Harry by the hand. The boy followed along quietly, trying to make sure he didn't offend anybody on the way out.

…..

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he said nervously.

"Do not be concerned, Minister. The good people of the Ministry will not be put away for simply carrying a brand, yet not committing any crimes…" Lucius droned.

The Malfoy patriarch wasn't worried. He would have enough allies to balance out any families that followed Dumbledore's decision. He just needed a few neutral or on-the-fence families to tip in his favor, which wouldn't be too hard.

If he was lucky, the senile, old fool might actually decide on giving them a second chance. He clicked his teeth in annoyance. The idiots couldn't hold back their pain enough to not raise suspicion.

It would be good publicity to have a few hundred Death Eaters released under the eye of Albus Dumbledore.

Fudge, on the other hand, was more worried, but would follow Lucius's advice. It wouldn't do to lose so many workers in the Ministry and it would be bad publicity to have so many of his employees convicted.

Fudge felt they'd established a trustworthy relationship in the last few years after the Malfoy patriarch proved his innocence and redeemed himself.

…..

Lily and Aiden landed back in the old wand maker's shop gently.

' _I should probably pay Andromeda for the burn marks I left,'_ Aiden thought apologetically. It probably wasn't the best idea to test flame travel inside of somebody else's office.

"Ah, Mister Fox. Welcome again. Please, come to the back," Ollivander said, voice drifting in from elsewhere in his shop.

The two walked into the back room where all the materials had been. They noticed a door further in the back with a light coming out of it and assumed that was the workshop.

The room looked rather standard with some machinery that was unknown to the duo. Ollivander himself was standing at a clean table with a box laid in front of him. As they walked past, they noticed another table with a few holes burned through it.

"Don't mind that, Mister Fox, just a few mishaps with the basilisk venom."

When they finally stopped in front of the old wand maker, Ollivander looked up, his eyes filled with delight.

"Creating your wand was a very complex task, Mister Fox. The merging of two different wand woods, especially such unique and powerful woods, was very draining. A wand of four ancient core materials, two liquid, even more challenging. It has been nonetheless completed. I present you my masterpiece."

Ollivander took the lid off of the box. Mounted on a small pedestal inside the box, was his wand.

The color of his wand was distorted, a merging of the ancient ash wood of the Yggdrasil tree and elder tree. It was twelve and a half inches long, as the wand maker had prescribed at the beginning of his initial visit.

Pairs of obsidian black and pure white streaks ran adorned along the length of the wand, alternating and aligned on each of the four 'sides.'

The wand had a hilt, made of what appeared to be silver. Intricate designs were carved into the hilt. A battle between a miniature dragon and basilisk, two phoenixes wrapped around one another, and the swirling nine tails of a silver fox.

"Strangely enough, the white and black streaks appeared upon adding in the tears of the phoenix couple. The silver hilt was engraved personally," Ollivander commented.

Both Lily and Aiden looked at the wand in awe. "It's beautiful…" Lily whispered.

Ollivander gestured towards the wand with a smile. "Go on, Mister Fox."

Aiden stepped forward and grasped the wand firmly. The moment he did, he felt the pull on his magic that had startled him earlier. Tendrils of his magic became visible to Ollivander and Lily, the silver aura moving to attach to the wand.

The bond glowed brightly before shattering into pieces. The pieces of silver flowed into the tip of the wand and silence filled the room.

Aiden looked at the wand in his hand in amazement. It felt like an extension of himself rather than the impersonal, albeit impressive, piece of wood it had been moments before. The flow of magic within him now extended to the wand and he could even feel a source flow from the wand itself.

"My word…" Ollivander gasped with wide open eyes. "In all of my life, I have never seen a bonding of such strength…truly astounding."

Aiden smiled and opened up his palm. Nicking his finger, he quickly scribed a blood seal into his palm and put away the wand with a poof.

"Thank you for the brilliant wand, Ollivander. If there is anything I can do to repay you…"

"No, no, Mister Fox. The chance to create a masterpiece and witness your unique bonding was payment enough. It will forever live in my memory," Ollivander said with a smile. "I will accept nothing more than four Galleons."

Aiden nodded his head and reached into his pouch, picking out the gold coins. The wand was easily worth hundreds of thousands galleons, if not millions.

Aiden put his hand on Lily's sleeve once again and Ollivander began to head out for the front of his shop.

"I expect great things out of you, Mister Fox."

Aiden glanced at the closed door and smiled.

"Are you ready, Lily?"

"I am. I hope the world is ready for you," she quipped back.

Aiden smirked devilishly. "Oh, they're never ready."

…..

"Mother, why are we here?"

"I…I'm not quite sure, dear. I had the feeling that it would be a good idea to witness this meeting."

"I see. Father is going to be defending his old companions then?" he said in a hushed voice.

"Yes. He…what has he been teaching you about recently?"

"More of the pureblood supremacist doctrine that you warned me about, mother. I use it in public to appease father, but…it does not feel right with all the things you have told me about."

"That's good, Draco…do not ever let yourself be fooled. That path is a dark one…"

Her son's eyes took on a worried gleam. "And you, mother? Has he…"

"Do not worry yourself about it, Draco. I will bear anything for you," Narcissa said softly.

The Malfoy heir hugged his mother tightly. "I'm sorry, mother… I can't…"

"We will make it through, dear. We will."

Draco nodded softly in his mother's arms. It had been many long years since his sweet, doting, and kind mother pulled him aside one night to talk. Talk about her days in Hogwarts. Her dearest friend. Even her own views on pureblood supremacy.

Lucius had been outraged when he overhead her. He had been sent to his room as his 'father' dragged off his frightened mother. He could still hear the shrieks of pain from that night.

As a small mercy, his father only inflicted pain upon his mother. The animal hadn't touched her in that way since the night he was conceived. It was strange, but a small mercy nonetheless.

Draco had cried when he first saw the bruising and cuts on his mother's caring face, on her arms and legs. He could see the weariness and despair in her eyes. And he couldn't do anything about it.

A tear fell out of Draco's eye, rolling down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly and straightened his back. The meeting was going to resume and he couldn't afford to let his father see him crying.

…..

The rest of the gallery returned their attention to the Wizengamot, assembling into their seats from whatever miscellaneous tasks they had done during intermission.

Multiple reporters and journalists were watching intently, scribbling down notes and trying to work out an article. A few were personally writing and some were using Quick Quotes Quills, one being a woman with curly blonde hair and jeweled spectacles.

…..

Dumbledore watched over the meeting silently as the members re-settled into their stations. Lucius Malfoy had a smug expression on his face.

The first portion of discussion had been spearheaded by Lucius on defending the people that had had the Dark Mark 'forced' upon them. Macnair, Rosier, Parkinson, and other usual supporters of the Malfoy patriarch quite obviously agreed with his words.

Amelia Bones, Augusta Longbottom, and he had argued for the imprisonment of the mass of Death Eaters exposed at the Ministry. They had a sizable amount of supporters as well, but it seemed that Lucius's side had the majority at the moment.

Looking at Lucius's argument again, Dumbledore felt that Lucius had done a good job of portraying the arrested people in a good light. Even those not fooled were more inclined to keep them free, so as to not lose workers.

Of course, the people did not know what he knew. That Voldemort would soon return. Claiming so without any proof would only lead to Fudge to start claiming he had gone senile and throwing mud on his image.

Dumbledore even felt that he might have supported Lucius's argument. He was all for giving people second chances, inclined to look at the better side of people. That would have been his viewpoint earlier in the day.

Not after that strange white ring of light that had seemed to be the topic of all conversation on his way here. He had been feeling significantly more clear-minded since the event and spent time re-thinking his decisions in the recent years and what he had planned for the future.

It wasn't hard to see the myriad of mistakes in the past and had decided upon in the future. He had orphaned poor Harry in his foolishness.

Why he convinced James to stay at Godric's Hollow instead of the Potter Manor was beyond him when the Manor was better warded and would take more time to locate. Why he left Harry with his despicable relatives when the blood wards would have little to no effect with those people was also beyond him.

He would amend that the moment he was able to get away from this meeting. But first, he needed to at least make sure the Death Eaters were locked away, depriving Tom of his forces when he returned.

"Lord Greengrass, surely you agree with me?" Lucius asked. "Is it not obvious that these people are innocent? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gone! There is no point in locking away these good people."

Adrian Greengrass narrowed his eyes at Lucius Malfoy. He disliked anything to do with the slimy blonde, but found no point in siding with Dumbledore on this issue. Voldemort was dead and the Death Eaters were essentially nothing without their Dark Lord. The numbers advantage lay on Malfoy's side and it would be more beneficial to simply stay neutral again, so as to not damage his relations with either side.

Lucius Malfoy smirked as he confirmed Lord Greengrass's position. It was time to close up. "I believe all relevant information has been provided already…"

"This is absurd! Letting them go would be releasing potential murderers back into our society!" Madame Longbottom protested. "Letting them go would-!"

"Would do what, Madame Longbottom?" Lucius interrupted smugly. "I believe I made my point earlier."

Augusta Longbottom scowled in annoyance.

"Well, if there is nothing else to add, we shouldn't keep the good people waiting. Shall we cast our vote now?" Lucius asked loudly.

The audience hushed and Dumbledore frowned inwardly. There was nothing he could say to convince the members on the fence at this point. Nothing he could support.

' _Is there really nothing I can-'_

With a loud roar, an enormous pillar of flames rose out of the ground in the center of the room. Many of the wizards and witches in the audience cried out in shock and stepped back. With a noticeable flash, the members of the Wizengamot turned to look around them.

"Impossible…" Lucius gasped audibly.

Six of the seats of the Wizengamot cleared of dust and shone in resonance. One was elevated above them all, four more almost directly under it. The final seat was one of a Noble and Most Ancient House.

The seats of House Emrys, House Slytherin, House Gryffindor, House Hufflepuff, House Ravenclaw, and House Potter came to life.

Cameras flashed and quills scribbled furiously on parchment when the reporters noticed the change.

Lily and Aiden stepped through pillar, untouched by the flames. He smirked internally to himself. He always had fun with entrance effects.

The members of the Wizengamot stared at the young woman and child for a few moments, trying to gather some coherent thought.

"What do you think you're doing!? This is a sacred Wizengamot meeting!"

Aiden glanced at the toad-like woman dressed in a disgustingly bright pink outfit. Dolores Umbridge.

Both he and Lily took a moment to look around the Wizengamot room. It seemed to be more of a formal meeting/discussion room than the trial room he had seen previously.

The seats for each member were spaced out and decorated differently and booths for each member were present.

The Noble and Most Ancient House seats were more ornate, such as the Potter, Longbottom, Malfoy, and Black seats. They were on a level only slightly lower than the administrative booths. The booths were decorated with golden carvings. The other families were seated lower, booths engraved with silver.

Higher seats existed for the Minister of Magic, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, and Chief Warlock.

There were many seats that had a disabled air about them. The seats and corresponding booths were bright for those who had representatives present. The House of Black was darkened, as his seats and Lily's seat had been in the instant of their entry, before they lit up.

The seat for House Emrys sat above all others, even the administrative seats. The seats of the Founders lay directly under the Emrys, higher than the administrative seats, which had puzzled the Ministry for a long time. As far as they were concerned, the founders were never recorded to have connections to Merlin.

' _Ah, this old meeting room,'_ Godric's voice interrupted. _'When Sir Emrys took us as his disciples, we kept the apprenticeship secret, of course. When this place was originally created, it was much less…modern?'_

' _It seems that the charms scheme was worked around and added to as time went on. Of course, the enchantments could never forget our place above the rest, even if the wizards themselves forgot,'_ Rowena added. There was no condescension in her voice. It simply was as she said.

Dumbledore and Augusta came to a shared realization at nearly the same time. The Longbottom matriarch had seen that bright visage many times with her son and daughter-in-law. Narcissa's eyes widened, tears threatening to leak out.

Dumbledore was surprised he hadn't realized it immediately. Perhaps the impossibility of her presence that threw him off for the few moments.

"Lily? Is that you?" Augusta asked.

The significance of one of the seats lighting up instantly connected with everyone in the room. Her appearance clicked seconds later. Lily Potter.

"How?!" Fudge shouted nervously. "Weren't you killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ten years ago!?"

The members of the room grew wary. A shade or necromancy came to mind. A person who was supposed to be dead didn't simply return ten years later.

Dumbledore could see that there were no traces of dark magic on her.

"Well, it would have to be her, my fellow Wizengamot members. Otherwise the seat of House Potter would not have reacted to her presence," Dumbledore said, reminding them. "How did you return, my dear? What happened that night, ten years ago?"

Lily snapped around to face the old wizard. A small pulse rattled the room and Dumbledore internally flinched. Her eyes were glowing a bright, eerie, killing curse green and fury and anger emitted out of her like an aura. Her hair was rising up slightly like it was possessed.

Aiden raised an eyebrow at that. ' _I guess all angry long-haired women can do it then,'_ he thought.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Percival, would you like to explain why you blatantly ignored the explicit instructions to not, under any circumstances, **LEAVE HARRY WITH THE DURSLEYS?** "

Another tremor shook the room, making some of the Wizengamot members clench their desks in fear. Albus visibly wilted. There was something wrong between their accounts of the issue and he had a feeling that he was the one who had the incorrect information.

"Arabella Figg assured me that Harry was growing up healthily…a bit on the chunky side, actually…" he replied tentatively. Oh, that change in expression didn't mean anything good.

"…You never once actually checked on him yourself?" Lily asked. She sounded calm. Too calm.

Aiden watched the scene with amusement. He would stop Lily eventually. She deserved to vent, but he could sense a major difference in Dumbledore.

Had the old wizard been as he predicted, Dumbledore would have displayed irritation in being questioned and preached the Greater Good in his actions first. Not shown remorse or tried to justify himself.

He scanned lightly around the rest of the room with his empathic senses. For the most part, he felt curiosity and fear. Suddenly, he felt his consciousness being pulled into his mind.

…..

Aiden found himself standing in the middle of his new mindscape.

" _I really would prefer if you gave me a warning of some sort…"_ he said in slight annoyance.

" _My apologies, Aiden. I just decided it would be a convenient time to give you some of your new skills,"_ Salazar explained.

" _That being?"_

" _The arts of the mind. Legilimency and Occlumency. I believe you should be quite comfortable with both subjects once you dispel these clones,"_ Salazar answered, gesturing at the squadron of clones he had collected. " _If it works as you said."_

With a snap of his fingers, the group of clones made a poof sound and vanished. Aiden shut his eyes to focus a bit better. Thousands of pages of paper suddenly appeared in the mindscape, falling freely in the air.

The pieces of paper almost immediately stopped moving and began to separate into multiple groups. The piles of paper condensed and transformed into books before floating over to Salazar and Aiden. He re-opened his eyes.

" _Well done…it is nice to see our efforts were not fruitless."_

" _What, you didn't trust me?"_

" _Well, I didn't get to be an apprentice of Merlin and a founder of Hogwarts with blind trust and loyalty, now did I? That was more in Helga and Godric's alley,"_ Salazar jabbed.

" _Didn't you say 'comfortable' with both subjects?"_

" _What better comfort than becoming a master of both? You were already well on your way in both paths. No doubt some of your previous experience coming into play. It would be more beneficial for you to have the ability to gather more information soon rather than later, especially considering your present company. Who knows what you may discover wandering on the surface of their thoughts?"_

" _I see your point. I will return then."_

 _Salazar waved Aiden away with a shooing motion and turned to walk away, vanishing into mindscape. Aiden felt himself returning to consciousness._

…..

He snapped open his eyes and resumed scanning the crowd, only a few seconds passing since he was dragged into the mindscape.

' _Such a convenient ability. I should make some buildings in there later. Make it a bit more coherent,'_ Aiden noted.

He suddenly felt the need to retch. Aiden pinpointed the source of the feelings making him ill. Lucius Malfoy. As collected as the blonde man appeared externally, his mind was rumbling with a mixture of malicious intent and lust. That was never a good combination.

Images flashed in Aiden's mind, gleaming the surface thoughts of Lucius. A Muggle family. A secret passage. He looked at everything objectively, gaining as much information as he could.

The images led further into the bastard's mind, branching into his related thoughts. Narcissa. Whip marks, scarlet skin, empty eyes. He followed through, filing away the information. He was done for now.

The room was instantly filled with an immense pressure. Many of the wizards and witches collapsed to the ground, struggling for breath. The room smelled of brimstone and the members of the Wizengamot were hard-pressed to remain upright, some flat out falling out of their chairs.

Umbridge and Fudge were two of those who had collapsed to the floor, unable to handle the stress. Amelia Bones, Adrian Greengrass, and Albus Dumbledore remained in their seats, albeit sweating immensely.

A feeling of terror washed over most of them, some screaming out in fear. Lucius Malfoy was in a much worse condition. He sat upright in his chair, but that was the only thing natural about him. His skin was turning blue and he was clutching his throat, thrashing about in agony, yet unable to move.

Those that were able to still think under the extreme conditions turned their gazes to Aiden. He stood unaffected with Lily, eyes glowing a dark purple color. Narcissa and Draco also stood unaffected, yet confused.

The tension suddenly disappeared and simultaneous gasps for air rang out all over the meeting room. It lasted for all of a few seconds, but the effect strained everybody in the room other than the two in the center.

Aiden clenched his fist, digging his nails slightly into his skin. He took a few deep breaths, cursing inwardly. He glanced at the bystanders with regret. _'I'll need to learn to control that. I can't just lash out as I wish…'_

Lily crouched slightly and put her hands on Aiden's shoulders, concern in her beautiful green eyes.

"Are you ok, Aiden?" she said quietly.

He smiled and hugged her softly in return. "I'm fine, Lily. Thank you. I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation with Dumbledore, but he's changed. I'm sure you could tell." Lily nodded. "Do you mind if we move on from the subject? We can talk more to him at a later date. There are issues that need to be taken care of."

"Of course, Aiden."

He looked back towards the Wizengamot with an apologetic expression. Madame Longbottom looked exhausted from the unnatural stress. Caution reigned in the eyes of most of them, while fear dominated the remainder. Lucius was visibly shaken.

Aiden hummed. Everybody in the room felt a little tickle. Dumbledore widened his eyes.

The volatile and dark nature of the boy's pressure had led the old wizard to believe that the boy was either a demon in disguise or possessed. The smell of brimstone and dark, glowing eyes only added to that idea.

Even then, Albus Dumbledore recognized what Aiden was about to do. He had felt the same feeling multiple times in his office. It didn't make sense for a human to have the capability, but a demon would in not be able to replicate the action or effect. He had to be an Animagus.

Aiden began to sing. There were no words to his song. He simply sang, his melodic voice washing over the entire room. Lily felt absolute bliss spreading through her body, nearly making her weak-kneed enough to fall to the ground.

The other wizards and witches began to rise off of the ground or their seats. Warmth flooded them, rejuvenating their bodies. It was calming and peaceful, a clear contrast to the terror that filled their cores earlier.

Umbridge, Malfoy, and many of the heads of families aligned with him started to scream in pain, many of them clutching their arms reflexively. Madame Bones narrowed her eyes at the reaction.

Aiden soon came to a stop and most of the people were more energized and less weakened than they had been previously, minus Lucius's faction. They were still groaning in pain.

"Who are you? How can you sing the song of a phoenix despite that demonic presence you outputted moments ago?" Dumbledore asked immediately, voice rising well over the silence and groans of pain.

"You know fully well that there's only one way a person could produce the song of a phoenix, Dumbledore. And I'm sure you of all people can tell the difference between an authentic song and some spell that attempts to mimic the effect."

Dumbledore nodded. "You would need to be an Animagus. A magical creature Animagus, one of the perhaps eight ever recorded in history…the first rumored to be Merlin himself."

"So, I'm sure you can take a guess to my identity?"

Umbridge crawled up onto her table, somewhat recovering from the pain. A sneer was etched on her face, irritable, her annoyance and pain over-riding the terror she had felt only minutes ago. Dolores Umbridge's mind wasn't entirely complex. Nor very intelligent.

"And why would we, esteemed members of the Wizarding community, know some child like you?" she nearly screeched with her shrill voice.

Many of the other members grimaced at hearing her voice, but also connected the pieces, shocked at the claim. Aiden smiled, tilted his head, and raised his hand.

His main ring flashed bright white, bringing all eyes to his hand. Aiden's four other rings unveiled themselves, glowing their corresponding color.

Loud creaking and crunching filled the room as everybody twisted to look at the source. Rune arrays flashed alive, symbols appearing on all of the seats.

White light blasted outwards, forcing nearly everyone to avert their eyes for the moment.

Lily palmed her face and shook her head silently.

Aiden chuckled, but also sighed slightly. "Way too flashy. I'll really need to work on that."

Two distinctly different seats hung above each other in their respective booths, with a permeating feeling of drawing attention towards themselves.

The Emrys seat and the new seat were extremely ornate, decorated so intricately that Aiden couldn't actually put words to how artistic the new designs were. There were, however, new symbols that he raised an eyebrow at.

Contrary to what he expected, the Emrys seat was an interesting mixture of both pure white and pitch black in color, diamond and onyx ornaments, and was adorned with the distinct symbol that lay on his ring, the symbol of infinity.

Upon registering the other seat further, it was obvious that it was an amalgamation of the seats of the four Founders. Red and ruby, purple and amethyst, green and emerald, and yellow and topaz intertwined near the middle, separating out more to the sides.

"I am the heir of the four Founders and Myrddin Emrys, otherwise known as Merlin Ambrosius," Aiden announced. The room almost immediately burst into activity. Reporters began to write with extreme fervor even in comparison to their action earlier.

Aiden's claims were undeniable and everybody realized that by now. Nothing else could have caused the conference room to react as it had. As it were, the 'boy' in the middle in the room was now proven to be in control of the large majority of the economic worth of magical Britain. And that provided him with a lot of power.

The neutral parties started working through the implications in their heads. Dumbledore, Lucius, and their allies were concerned. If Aiden proved to be unstable or inclined towards the dark, he could cause major problems for the Wizarding World and Dumbledore's side. If he proved to be light, he would be a major issue for Lucius.

However, before even Aiden made another statement, somebody else simply couldn't hold back the issue any further.

"Lucius, years ago, you vouched that you served under He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named due to the Imperius Curse. I would like you to explain yourself now…"

"Explain what, Madame Bones?" Lucius replied, moving his hand towards his cane discretely.

"Explain why the majority of the people on your side were in severe pain from the song of the phoenix, when such a reaction is clearly indicative of a dark alignment, and why most of them clutched their arms in pain," Madame Bones accused, sliding her hand towards her sleeve slowly.

"Well, it's really quite a simple answer, Madame Bones," Lucius replied smoothly. The heads of the dark houses simultaneously drew and aimed their wands at a different target, intent on taking out as much of the threat as they could with their surprise attack. "The Dark Lord's servants live on! _Avada Kedav-_!"

The rest of the Wizengamot found nearly no time to react properly aside from Dumbledore and Madame Bones. The neutral families, even those siding with Lucius on the issue at hand, were surprised by the sudden elevation in threat. However, even before Dumbledore and Madame Bones could draw their wands, and before Lucius and his group could finish speaking their spells, an overwhelming feeling of terror once again shook everybody in the room.

With that moment of hesitation, Lily and Aiden simultaneously drew and fired off chains of magic to bind most of the offending wizards. The rest of the Wizengamot were kind enough to subdue the rest, recovering more quickly from the oppressive feeling as Aiden had been concentrating it less towards them.

Lucius struggled against his restraint, stronger against mental attacks, to his credit. He glared at Aiden with hatred.

Aiden stared back with cold eyes, the depths of which promised pain to the blonde patriarch. The Malfoy flinched.

"Lucius Malfoy will be charged with the crime of attempted murder on multiple members of the Wizengamot, conspiracy and treason against this government, as well as concealing and aiding multiple agents of Voldemort by his own will," Aiden stated, slashing his wand through the air. The sleeves of each bound member were ripped off inelegantly, revealing the marks hidden underneath. Many of the audience recoiled and flinched when Aiden uncaringly called Voldemort by name, rather than epithet, and reacted even more strongly when the marks were shown.

"Through his own actions, he has shown that he lied to the Wizengamot in his trial years ago. I request that Veritaserum be administered to him and interrogate him as to the nature of any crimes he has committed, dark artifacts that he may be harboring, and other such matters as are associated with Voldemort."

Aiden switched his gaze over to Narcissa, locking eyes with the blonde woman. He nodded lightly and turned his attention back to the members of the Wizengamot.

Narcissa's body shook and trembled, attracting the attention of the boy seated against herself.

"Mother?" Draco whispered in worry. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, a warm tear drop trickling down her face. A small, hopeful smile graced her features for the first time Draco had seen in many years. The boy standing next to Lily knew, she could tell. His eyes, warm and understanding, promised action and, from what she could see, action would be taken very soon.

"Nothing is wrong, Draco…" Narcissa whispered back, running her fingers through her son's hair softly. "Everything is all right…I think I can finally see an end, dear."

…..


End file.
